The Gathering Storm
by AlphaOmega92
Summary: My Fallout 3 fanfiction. Takes place after Broken Steel. A new force enters the chaos of the Capital Wasteland. The Lone Wanderer must decide if they are just , or if they plan on following the footsteps of the Enclave.
1. Chapter 1

Hey, I know a lot of you will be surprised by the changes I've made, but I've done some major editing to The Gathering Storm. I've added stuff, condensed a couple chapters...but the main story is the same. Please read, enjoy, and let me know what you think. Also, I apologize for typos. I'll fix them as I find them.

The Gathering Storm

**Prologue**

Guiles stared out over the misty waters. The early morning haze drifted lazily around him, the electric lamp by his side doing little to penetrate into its thickness. He felt his eyes starting to droop, so he stood up, and strode around the flight deck in an attempt to wake himself up. Checking his watch, Guiles sighed in relief. It was almost nine o'clock, time for the change of the guards.

Not that Rivet City really needed much protection. Before the bombs fell the city had been an aircraft carrier of the US Navy. It now rested in the waters of the Washington Naval Yard, slowly rusting away in the waters of the Potomac. The only action Guiles ever saw was the occasional scuffle with Raiders, and taking potshots at the Mirelurks in the bay. Looking over the side, he spotted a ripple in the waters around the hull. A figure ascended from the depths, and swam along the edge of the ship, looking for some entrance into the vessel. About the size of a ten-year old, it was covered by a blue, chitinous shell. Its forearms ended in fearsome looking claws, and a large, narrow-pupilled eye dominated the center of its face.

The guard shook his head and took aim with his scoped-assault rifle. He squeezed the trigger, firing off a burst. The shells pinged off the creature's hard exoskeleton, and the frightened creature dived beneath the waves. Guiles laughed. Alone and at a distance, the crab-people were easy to deal with. Up close and in groups, however…he hoped he would never be in that situation.

With the mirelurk gone, the guard reached for his radio. "Hey Jack, where's my replacement?" he asked. "Shift's over and I'm fucking tired."

"Chill out Ben," the man on the other side of the radio said groggily. "Someone'll be there shortly." Guiles' anger rose knowing that Jack was catching z's when he was supposed to be monitoring radio chatter. He was about to berate the man when a foghorn pierced the misty waters. He let the radio drop from his hand as a monstrous shadow appeared in the distance. As it approached the shape grew and became more defined, and soon the outline of a ship was visible. The vessel was massive, making the humongous carrier that held Rivet City look like it belonged in a child's bathtub. The foghorn belched again as the ship came to dock right next to the ancient carrier.

Guiles stared in awe at the sight in front of him. The ship was obviously one built for combat, armed with an assortment of cannons and missile tubes. On the rear of the ship was a flight deck, with elevators leading into the depths of the mysterious vessel. The guard stooped down to pick up the forgotten radio and clicked the transmit button. "Uh, Jack?"

"Dammit Ben your replacement's on the way!" Jack yelled, the sound of a hand slamming on a desk erupting from the speaker. He had obviously woken the man up once more. Ben rolled his eyes and raised the radio back to his face.

"You might wanna send more than one guard, and tell someone to bring a rocket launcher."


	2. Chapter 2

The Gathering Storm

**Part 1**

The sun beat down on the arid landscape, the star alone in a cloudless sky. A figure trekked across the desert, stopping at the top of a rocky cliff and surveying the scene before him. Not a thing moved save the wind, which played with the dust and the wasteland's meager flora. The figure shifted, sunlight glancing off the plated armor he wore. Devices on the power armor's shoulders buzzed with energy, giving the air around the man an ethereal visage.

Daniel Frost looked out over the Capital Wasteland. The desert climate before him was a far cry from the DC area two centuries ago. But the Great War, the nuclear confrontation between the US and Communist China, had changed the entire world forever. On October 23, 2007 millions of people were atomized in a storm of nuclear fire, the only ones safe from the Holocaust those who took refuge in underground bunkers known as Vaults.

_"And to think it used to snow here…"_ the man thought to himself as a tumbleweed rolled by.

It was from one of these shelters, Vault 101, which Daniel emerged almost a year ago, finding the Capital Wasteland in anarchy. In his travels, he had done many good works for the people of the wastes, earning the moniker "The Lone Wanderer". While the Daniel had done much to clean up the Wastes, they were nowhere safe. Mutated beasts preyed on travelers, as did other human predators.

The Lone Wanderer was joined on the outcropping by a second figure, clad in similar power armor.

"Come on kid, where's the fire?" the figure said in a raspy voice.

Daniel's smile was hidden by the helmet that covered his face. "Sorry, Charon. Just eager to get home."

"Well you shouldn't go on without me. What happens if you get ambushed―"

Something struck the Lone Wanderer's chest plate, followed by a sharp crack as the sound caught up with the bullet. Daniel barely felt the blow as the projectile pinged harmlessly off the armor. Looking for the source of the shot, he spotted a lone raider armed with a hunting rifle a hundred meters away. Jackals of the Wasteland, raiders were common thugs that survived by stealing from others. Sadistic bastards, few that fell into their claws were ever found in one piece.

The Lone Wanderer raised his weapon, a blocky rifle with a plastic stock, and pulled the trigger. A red bolt of energy lanced from the weapon's barrel and struck the raider in the chest. The laser bore through the thug's leather armor with ease, doing the same to the man's chest cavity. Smoke seeping from the crater in his breast, the raider dropped his weapon and fell to the ground.

Turning toward Charon and striking a heroic pose, Daniel blew imaginary smoke off his weapon's barrel.

"Crisis averted. Chalk one up for the Lone Wanderer."

His companion shook his head.

"You're lucky, I'll give you that. But there could have been more of them."

As if Charon's words were a spell, three raiders popped up over the ridge behind him. Two were armed with assault rifles, but one carried a metal nozzle attached to a massive tank on his back. Daniel cursed as he saw the flamer, tapping a button on his left gauntlet. Time slowed down as the raider pulled the trigger, a plume of fire growing from the weapon's barrel.

Daniel thanked his stars for the V.A.T.S. module installed on his Pip-Boy wrist computer. While the Pip-Boy was usually used for logistics, the Vault-Tec-Assisted-Targeting System gave the device a secondary function. Using the computer's memory to augment the user's brain capacity, V.A.T.S enhanced the user's reflexes. While the Pip-Boy had an impressive amount of memory, acting as biological RAM overloaded the system after extensive use.

The Lone Wanderer grabbed Charon, the servos in his armor whining as he pulled his companion away from the flames. The safeties on his Pip-Boy deactivated, time resuming its normal tempo. The cascade of fire washed over the two adventurers as their combined weight sent them over the edge of the cliff. Daniel and Charon fell down the outcropping, the armor encasing them taking most of the damage from the fall.

Standing shakily and dusting himself off Daniel helped Charon up. Aside from some bruising and abrasions, the two were unscathed. Their armor was in similar condition; blackened from the flamer's propellant but otherwise uncompromised.

"You gonna listen to me from now on?" said his partner over the short-wave radio in his helmet.

"Yeah, yeah. You should be thanking me. I saved your ass." The wanderer replied.

Their banter was interrupted by the sound of arguing above them.

"Whew, you toasted 'em Clyde."

"Yeah, bet those two died fore they hit tha ground!"

"Let's go scavenge what we can offa dem'."

"Will, I'm hungry. Can I eat one?"

"Sure, they're already crispy. Ahahahaha!" The three raiders guffawed as they made their descent.

Daniel smiled wicked and checked his weapon.

"Ready for some payback?" he asked.

His partner nodded, readying his shotgun.

"Let's show them how battles are really fought."

The two shouldered their weapons and prepared a little surprise for the three hapless raiders.

-----------------

Daniel wiped his forehead with the front of his shirt and bent over a deconstructed suit of power armor. The Tesla armor was scorched and pock-marked with bullet holes, souvenirs from his latest run-in with Raiders. Where those thugs got a hold of a flamer he would never know, but he smiled, knowing that the souvenirs he left them would last a lot longer. Scorch marks would come out with scrubbing. Death, on the other hand, was permanent. The DC area was rife with danger, even after the destruction of the Enclave.

Calling themselves the remnants of the pre-war US government, the Enclave tried to impose its rule on the people of the Wasteland. Together the Lone Wanderer along with the Brotherhood of Steel, a paramilitary organization dedicated to protecting the people of the Capital Wasteland, resisted their takeover, finally destroying their last outpost in the DC area six months ago.

The Lone Wanderer resumed servicing his armor when he heard the drone of propulsion jets behind him.

"Hello Wadsworth."

"Why hello sir," his robotic butler replied. Daniel turned to face the machine. A Mr. Handy model automaton, Wadsworth looked like a mechanical octopus. A trio of robotic arms with various attachments branched off the main body. The machine floated a few feet off the ground thanks to a booster at its end.

"Couldn't you let me take care of that, sir?"

"I like to take care of maintenance myself, Wadsworth. Gotta keep the skills sharp." The Lone Wanderer said, shaking his head. The butler made a disappointed chirping noise, turned, and headed for the kitchen.

"Very well, I shall prepare your breakfast then."

"Don't forget me, Rustbucket," a gravelly voice said. Wadsworth turned towards Charon, Daniel's companion, and huffed before retreating into the kitchen. His ally lay lengthwise on a stained sofa, still in his power armor.

"I should rearrange that robot's wiring." Charon said.

"Leave him alone and take off your armor. I need to clean it."

The man grunted and undid the clasps that connected his helmet to his armor. The skin on Charon's face was putrid and pale, the muscle in his jaw easily visible through gaps in the rotten flesh. His friend's appearance might have scared some, but Daniel was not unsettled by Charon's condition. Charon was a ghoul, a human exposed to horrible amounts of radiation. Such exposure to gamma rays caused horrible mutation and heavy necrosis. Ghouls had the appearance of living corpses, but were no longer affected by radiation. Tests done on the ghoul condition showed that they were actually healed by gamma rays, not harmed by them.

Aside from being a ghoul, his follower was unique in another way. Brainwashed as a child, Charon unquestionably obeyed the owner of his "contract". A contract Daniel had purchased off the merchant Ahzrukhal in the ghoul city of Underworld. Though he sometimes felt sorry for Charon, the ghoul was not only a valued asset, but a friend as well.

Patching the holes and buffing away the last of the scorch marks on his armor, he set his suit on its stand and faced his subordinate. Charon had freed himself from his suit and arranged it on the floor. The Lone Wanderer reached in his parts bag and drew a replacement chest plate, exchanging it for the bullet-riddled one on his companion's chest piece. A rag soaked in abraxo cleaner took care of the soot blackening the armor's plates.

"Hey Charon, remember what you did to Ahzrukhal after I bought your contract off him?" he asked.

The ghoul huffed. "Yeah, I capped his ass." The Lone Wanderer was no longer surprised by his follower's bluntness.

"Would you do the same to me if I sold it?" Daniel asked. Charon sat up. The man's cold eyes locked with Daniel's. Suddenly, Charon cackled and slapped his knee. His features softened, a rarity, and he pat the Lone Wanderer on the shoulder.

"Naw, we're cool kid." Charon grabbed a bottle of water off the side table and set off for his room.

"Really, cause I was thinking about having Three Dog start a radio show based on our many exploits. You know, like Herbert Dashwood and his ghoul manservant Argyle. I was thinking of calling it…"

"Don't push your luck." Charon said, interrupting him. His cold features had returned, but both knew the only was only joking. He shook his head and mounted the stairs. Daniel chuckled lightly. Charon was one cold bastard, but that cold bastard had saved his life more times than he could count.

His musing ended as a series of knocks came at the door. Daniel stood, placed his tools in the footlocker by the door, and opened it.


	3. Chapter 3

The Gathering Storm

**Part 2**

At the door was a dark-skinned man in dusters. An unruly black beard covered the bottom half of his face, giving the man a jolly composure somewhat offset by the assault rifle slung across his back. Lucas Simms was the mayor and sheriff of Megaton, the town Daniel had settled in shortly after leaving the Vault. The settlement was built in an enormous bomb crater, the houses and the walls surrounding them cobbled together from scrap metal. The Lone Wanderer had made friends with the people of the town when he had disarmed the source of the crater, the undetonated nuclear bomb at the town's core, and decided to settle here. The man tipped his cowboy hat to the Lone Wanderer and greeted him.

"How's it going kid? It's nice to see you made it home in one piece."

"Come on Sheriff, a couple of Raiders are no match for the Hero of the Wastes." Daniel said, scratching the back of his head.

During his travels throughout the Wastes, he had made many friends. One such adventure led him into the heart of Washington DC to the headquarters of Galaxy News Radio. The radio station was the only working one in the Capital Wasteland, informing the people of the wastes of breaking news and uplifting their spirits with hopeful sermons. Destroyed by mutants, Daniel had helped restore the station's signal. Since then, its proprietor, Three Dog, hadn't had enough to say about Daniel's accomplishments. Sure a little fame was nice, but he wasn't nearly the Messiah the disc-jockey painted him to be.

"Well I'm not here to visit," Simms said, scratching his chin. "I'm just here to give you some news. An unidentified warship came into port near Rivet City two days ago. It's been broadcasting a radio signal ever since."

A puzzled expression passed over Daniel's face as the sheriff left, tipping his hat before walking away. Shutting the door and plopping down on the couch, the Lone Wanderer began to fiddle with the Pip-Boy on his wrist. Sure enough, the personal computer had discovered a new radio signal. Tuning to the mysterious transmission, Daniel maxed the device's volume.

"This is Captain Richard Llast of the RLS _Warrant_. People of the Capital Wasteland, we mean you no harm. I seek an audience with the Lone Wanderer, so called Hero of the Wastes. Our ship is docked near the carrier you call Rivet City. This message will loop."

Daniel whistled, his curiosity piqued. It's not everyday a battleship appears out of the blue and rolls out the red carpet for you. He wondered who these people were and exactly what they wanted. He also knew there was only one way to find out. The Lone Wanderer stepped into the kitchen and yelled. "Hey Wadsworth, make that breakfast to go, I've got to head out again." The robotic butler bobbed up and down, his version of nodding. Daniel went to his armor rack and began donning his now-spotless Tesla armor.

"Where to kid?" a gruff voice said. The Lone Wanderer turned as Charon came down the stairs.

"We're headed for Rivet City. Suit up and I'll fill you in on the way to the gates." Daniel said. He closed the last latches on his suit and jammed his helmet on his head. Flipping a switch on his right wrist, the energy condensers on the armor's shoulder plates came to life. Daniel smelt ozone as the air charged around him, a barrier of ionized air between the armored plates and the outside world.

"Your packs, sirs," Wadsworth said, hovering out of the kitchen. The automaton placed one satchel in Daniel's outstretched hands. The other was dropped at Charon's feet. The ghoul growled at the robot, but the Lone Wanderer placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't mind him. Come on let's go." The Lone Wanderer and Charon stopped by a weapons locker near the door. Daniel holstered a submachine gun, some grenades, and a laser rifle, with enough ammo for the trip. Charon withdrew his trusty shotgun, along with several drums of shells. Before leaving the house Daniel picked up a large duffel bag, filled with loot from their latest adventure. The Wanderer bid Wadsworth farewell and left the house, starting along the metal walkways that travelled along the bomb crater in which Megaton was built. Taking a ramp down to the caldera's ground level, they passed the device responsible for the depression. Though Daniel had disarmed the bomb long ago, the radioactive material inside its casing was still giving off gamma rays. A scraggly old man in dirty cotton clothes stood ankle-deep in the irradiated pool of water around the bomb, preaching about how "Atom's light will lead us all to salvation". The man's name was Confessor Cromwell, leader of Megaton's Sect of the Church of Atom. The Church worshiped these weapons for reasons Daniel couldn't comprehend. The Lone Wanderer shook his head and continued on.

Before heading for the main gate the two stopped at Craterside Supply, the town's general store. Opening the door, Daniel was greeted by the whirring of gears.

"Halt." An electronic voice said.

The Lone Wanderer slowly raised his hands above his head. Behind the store's counter was a large robot. Its body was heavily armored, a minigun and rocket launcher built into its arms. The machine's head was covered with what looked like a football facemask, unblinking red eyes boring into his. The sentry bot rolled out from behind the counter on a tripod of wheels, the minigun on its right arm spinning. Charon leveled his shotgun at the automaton, his finger hovering agonizingly close to the trigger.

"Oh boy, don't we have a Showdown at the OK Corral here."

A red haired woman in a light blue jumpsuit appeared behind the robot, waving sheepishly at Daniel.

"Sorry," the woman said. "I haven't set the friend-foe tags yet. Hold on." She faced the robot and spoke slowly and clearly.

"Robo, these two are friends. This one is Daniel. The other is Charon."

The machine made a bell-tone as the information was processed.

"Yes, Moira. Daniel, Charon, welcome to Craterside Supply. Feel free to look around and buy our stuff."

Sales pitch completed, the machine retreated back behind the counter, waiting to assault the next customer.

Charon slowly put away his weapon, growling at the shopkeeper.

"Damn Moira, program the robot next time…so I won't have to blow its head off."

The merchant laughed nervously and shrugged. "Sorry, sorry. Ten percent all wares today, my treat."

Daniel laughed, giving Moira a friendly handshake. Moira Brown was a Jack of All Trades: shopkeeper, mechanic, and inventor. While she was a tad eccentric for his tastes, the woman had an upbeat attitude not found often in the Capital Wasteland. The Lone Wanderer hefted the heavy duffel bag onto the counter.

"How many will you give me for this stuff?"

The merchant zipped open the bag, withdrawing a small arsenal of hunting rifles, submachine guns, and assault rifles. She laid the weapons out on the table and whistled.

"You got a pretty good haul here, how does twenty-five hundred sound?"

The Lone Wanderer nodded, shaking on the deal. As Moira reached under the counter for her stash of caps, Daniel asked.

"You get any good gear while I was gone?"

Placing a burlap sack on the tabletop, Moira rubbed her chin. Her eyes brightened and the woman once again disappeared under the counted. The merchant reappeared holding a large pistol. The handgun was blocky with a gel handgrip. Radiation warnings plastered the barrel.

The Lone Wanderer's jaw dropped.

"Is that what I think it is?" he asked, reaching for the weapon.

"You betcha. The AX-12 Devastator. Some scavenger traded it a couple days ago. Sure wish I knew where he found it."

Once Daniel had the pistol in his hands, he knew he was buying it. The weapon was much bigger than the standard laser pistol, but the gun ergonomics made the weapon still fit easily in his hand. He opened the weapon's breach, examining the energy port. Specs for the weapon said it used an entire microfusion cell for one shot, where a standard laser rifle could get more than twenty bolts for the same charge. Those specs also said that the Devastator's slug could melt a dinner-plate sized hole in a tank.

"How much?" he asked.

"I'd usually sell such a rare gun in such good condition for fifteen-hundred caps…but for you, I'll only take seven-hundred."

The merchant counted out the necessary amount from Daniel's payment and handed him the bag. He accepted the caps gratefully and withdrew a microfusion cell from his pack, slamming it into his new toy. The Lone Wanderer giggled like a child as the gun's capacitors charged.

"Thanks Moira, we're off." Daniel said, holstering the energy pistol.

_Can't wait to try out this baby._ He thought, patting the weapon's side affectionately.

-----------------

Near the city's main gate was a large warehouse, the community garage for Megaton resident's lucky enough to own running vehicles. The mechanic, Rick, looked up from a deconstructed engine as the duo entered the building. The man wiped motor oil from his face with a rag and grimaced.

"Sorry Daniel…I haven't even gotten to fixing your wheels yet." The man apologized.

"Come on Rick," the Lone Wanderer said. "I asked you to work on it three weeks ago!"

The mechanic shrugged. Daniel sighed, finding his armored dune buggy among the vehicles in the garage.

"It's fine Rick. It was just a little dinged up when I brought it here. The buggy should run fine."

The mechanic began to speak when the Lone Wanderer cut him off, reaching for the ignition and turning the key. The vehicle's engine choked once, and died.

"That's what I was trying to tell you," Rick said. "you took more than one bullet right to the engine block. I'm surprised you guys could drive this thing back here." The Lone Wanderer banged a fist on the car's hood.

"How long will it take to fix?"

The mechanic spread his hands, a gesture of defeat. "I don't have the right parts at the moment, and even if I did I'd have to take apart the whole engine just to see what's wrong with the damn thing. I'm sorry Daniel, you're not going anywhere for awhile in this hunk of junk."

Daniel's brow furrowed in frustration. For one, he didn't like the buggy he'd built referred to as a "hunk of junk". And without his wheels, getting to Rivet City became all the more difficult.

"Are there any caravans leaving for Rivet City, Ricky?" he asked. The mechanic brought a greasy hand up to his chin in thought. Suddenly the man nodded, his eyes brightening.

"Dunno if they're headed to Rivet City, but there _is _a group of travelers leaving the city today. Actually, they left the garage a couple minutes before you got here. If you hurry, you might be able to catch 'em right outside the front gate."

The Lone Wanderer thanked Rick and sprinted from the garage, Charon on his heels. The mechanic stared after the Hero of the Wastes, then returned to the engine he was servicing.

Just as the mechanic had said, a caravan of travelers waited just outside Megaton's front gates. A large group of wastelanders crowded around a trio of vehicles, two trucks and a pre-war city bus. The Lone Wanderer pushed his way through the crowd to the leader of the caravan, a man in leather mercenary's garb.

"You guys going to Rivet City?" Daniel asked. The man's eyes went wide when he recognized the Lone Wanderer.

"Well yeah, Hero of the Wastes…Rivet City is actually where we're headed." The merc said. "We'd be honored to have the Lone Wanderer grace us with his presence on our journey."

Daniel recognized the man's jibe, but let it slide. A ride was a ride, and raiders were less likely to attack a convoy of armed vehicles. He thanked the man and stepped onto the bus. The Lone Wanderer and Charon took a bench near the back, setting their packs on the rail above their heads. As soon as the last passenger boarded, the three vehicles groaned to life. The convoy set out, the rumbling of the bus slowly lulling Daniel to sleep. Everything had happened so fast, Daniel had completely forgotten that he hadn't slept for almost a day and a half. The Lone Wanderer's eyes slid closed, losing consciousness before Megaton receded into the distance.


	4. Chapter 4

The Gathering Storm

**Part 3**

"Raiders!" someone screamed.

Charon awoke with a start, automatically reached for the shotgun at his side. Looking out the bus's window, the ghoul spied a cloud of dust in the distance. As the plume grew closer, he could spy several motorcycles and technicals. The cackling men and women driving the vehicles were unmistakably Raiders. The convoy's drivers, knowing that outrunning the thug's faster vehicles was impossible, brought the three transports around each other in a ring, as if they were pioneers holding off a redskin attack.

Like sixty-niners, anyone with a weapon aimed out the windows and fired on the circling jackals. A machine gun atop one of the trucks began to chatter, the heavy rounds knocking one unfortunate raider off his motorcycle. Charon fired a few shots from his shotgun, then tossed it to the ground. While devastating a close range, he would be lucky if the weapon scratched the Raiders from this distance. He shoved the Lone Wanderer, who still lay asleep on the bench.

"Hey, Daniel. Daniel…wake up!"

The ghoul continued to jostle him, but the Lone Wanderer remained fast asleep. Charon cursed and removed the laser rifle from his friend's back holster.

"I'm borrowing this." He growled at the slumbering man, sighting a whooping raider in a sidecar.

His first shot streaked past the man's head harmlessly. The ghoul groaned and readjusted his aim. But his shot had not gone unnoticed. The raider got the attention of his driver, pointing to the armored bus. The motorcycle made a u-turn bearing down on Charon and the rest of the passengers.

"Shit, everyone get down!" he yelled as the raider opened up with his machine-gun. The ghoul ducked as rounds tore into the vehicle's side, a few bullets shattering the bus's windows. Mentally the ghoul damned the weapon in his hands. _Laser weapons are much too easy to trace. I like bullets better. _

When the barrage ended Charon popped up a fired once more, catching the motorcycle driver in the chest. Without a driver, the vehicle careened into a rocky outcropping, its remaining rider screaming as the metal crushed him to a pulp.

Charon let out a bitter laugh and ducked back down, examining the other wastelanders on the bus. Most were still taking potshots at the jackals in the distance but a few had been hit in the last machine-gun barrage. He spoke to one man who held a pad of gauze against his upper arm.

"You okay? Got any stims on you?"

The wastelander laughed.

"Don't worry, I just got grazed. No reason to waste a stimpack on such a superficial wound. Those things cost an arm and a leg."

His response was cut off by a loud _whump_ followed by a high-pitched whistle. Several people screamed as an explosion kicked a plume of dirt and rock into the air. Charon peered out the shattered window as another pickup truck crested the hill behind them. A trio of raiders manned an ancient looking mortar in the rear of the vehicle. Two of the men fought over a round, the bigger of the duo winning the scrap. Smiling wickedly, the raider dropped the shell into the tube and ducked as it soared into the air. The gun crew must have recently acquired the weapon, for this round fell a hundred yards past the convoy.

Charon grimaced. The raiders might be inexperience, but it was only a matter of time before they got a round on target, and it would only take one of those high-explosive rounds to seriously mess them up.

The ghoul turned and yelled at one of the mercenaries that organized the convoy.

"Hey, you guys pack a missile launcher?"

The man nodded briskly.

"Then give it to me."

The rocket tube in his hands made Charon feel empowered. The ghoul turned on the weapon system's electronic display and aimed its nose out the window. Soon the launcher was locked onto the technical's heat signature. Pulling the trigger, a rocket the size of his forearm lanced into the air, making its way to its target. The missile struck the truck dead on, killing all its occupants and eliminating the threat the mortar posed.

After the destruction of their fire support, the rest of the raiders were quickly driven off. The mercenaries went about the three vehicles, reapportioning ammunition and treating the wounded, before the convoy set out once again. Charon sighed and sat back down, replacing Daniel's laser rifle in his friend's harness. The ghoul shook his head. The man had slept through the entire ordeal.

-----------------

When the Lone Wanderer awoke, the sun had already set. The three vehicle convoy had come to a stop on the shores of the Potomac. Most of the wastelanders had disembarked from the bus, leaving Charon and himself alone. Daniel took his helmet off and rubbed sleep from his eyes. Damn that rest had been good. Stretching and yawning, he looked around the bus.

_Had those bullet holes been there before? Was that blood on the floor?_ Daniel turned toward his companion.

"Something happen while I was out?" he asked.

"Nope." The ghoul said, retrieving his pack and stepping off the bus. The Lone Wanderer stared after him, then shrugged and followed.

The Jefferson Memorial could be seen across the dark waters, large pipes jutting from the building into the River. The site was home to Project Purity, a huge water purifier built to remove the radiation from the Potomac. Envisioned by his father, James Frost, he had sacrificed himself for his son and the people of the Wasteland when the Enclave tried to use the memorial for their own purposes. When the project had been wrested from their claws, Daniel had dedicated it to his father and the others that had fought and died to give the people of the Capital Wasteland clean water.

Daniel whispered a silent prayer to his father and joined the rest of the wastelanders in front of the transports.

The merc who had organized the transports stood in front of the mass of people, shouting in an attempt to quell the restless crowd. Seeing his shouts were going unheard, the man pulled out a pistol and fired it into the air. _That_ shut the crowd up.

"Listen," the merc said, holstering his weapon. "I apologize for the bit of turbulence we had on our way here. But we all know that the Capital Wasteland isn't the safest place in the world." The man smiled at his clever use of pre-war airline lingo. Those unwounded by the run-in with the Raiders chuckled lightly. The wounded wastelanders in the group only scoffed. Daniel looked at Charon, confused.

"I thought nothing happened." He said quietly.

"Nothing I couldn't handle." Charon gloated.

"There is a ferry on the way for those of you who are continuing on to Rivet City." The mercenary continued. "It should be here momentarily. If this is as far as you're travelling with us, well, I wish you luck in reaching your destination."

With that, the man turned towards the river's shore, peering out over the dark water for some sign of the ferry. The Lone Wanderer sifted through the crowd, a task made difficult by the sheer size of the group and the fact everyone seemed to want to shake his hand or thank him in some way. Some woman even got down on one knee and proposed to him.

_Crazy girl._ He thought.

"I'm honored, really…" he sputtered. "But I don't even know you." This didn't slow down the girl one bit. She grabbed on to his plating around his leg and held on for dear life. With the servos in his armor, he could barely feel her as he dragged her along.

"I love you so much. I'll do anything for you!" she squealed. The girl continued professing her love for Daniel as he made his way to the edge of the crowd. Finally the Lone Wanderer's patience broke.

He kicked the woman off her leg, apologizing as he did so. The woman hit the ground with a thud, but was unharmed. She called after Daniel as he and Charon joined the mercenary at the Potomac's edge. Seeing that her words fell upon deaf ears, she lifted up her shirt. The Lone Wanderer quickly turned away; glad his helmet hid his face. Saving the Capital Wasteland hadn't exactly left time in his schedule for dating, and frankly, this was the first time he'd seen a woman topless. A couple of settlers pulled the woman's blouse back down, and led her away. Daniel sighed in relief; his heart's nervous pounding began to subside. Hearing a pair of muffled snickers behind him, he spun around. The laughter stopped as his eyes bored into Charon and the mercenary.

"What?" he asked venomously.

"Way to go kid, didn't know you were so popular." The ghoul said, barely containing his mirth.

"Yeah, you're a real playboy." The man said.

At that, the two men broke out into laughter once more. Daniel contemplated beating the shit out of both of them, his gloved fists clenching. The sudden sound of a boat's whistle killed his anger. From the shadowy waters a ship appeared. It was a pre-war riverboat, the name _Duchess Gambit_ scrawled on its wooden hull. The steamer came to a stop at the shoreline, its whistle sounded once more to announce its arrival. The mercenary excused himself with a smirk and went to help bring down the gangplank. Despite the Lone Wanderer's icy glare, his ghoul companion still continued to chuckle.

"What?" Charon said.

"Just get on the damn boat." Daniel replied.

-----------------

The captain of the _Duchess Gambit _was a woman named Nadine, a friend from one of his previous adventures. Daniel had saved her from backwater savages in the Point Lookout National Park south of the DC area. After their run-in, the girl had come into possession of the ferry, and transported wastelanders across the Potomac.

Nadine opened the door to what had been the captain's cabin, and led the Lone Wanderer and Charon inside. The room was plush by post-war standards. The beds, while old, were cushy and soft. The cabin's bathroom didn't smell like excrement, which was a rare find in the wastes.

"This is great Nadine, but where are you going to sleep?"

"I have a cot up in the bridge. It wouldn't hurt me to stay up there once in awhile." Nadine said. "Besides, after hearing you didn't have a place to stay for the night, I couldn't leave you on your own. Not after _all_ you've done for me."

What was that in her tone? Did she just bat her eyelashes? The Lone Wanderer was at a loss for words.

_Don't tell me this one's coming onto me too!_

Before he could say anything, the captain bid the travelers good night and left. Daniel soon felt the planks underneath his feet rumble as the engine started. The paddle at the back of the steamer began to spin, propelling the vessel across the Potomac. The swaying of the vessel soon caused the Wanderer's eyes to droop, reminding him of how tired he was, even after his long slumber. Letting thoughts of Nadine slip into the back of his mind; Daniel set his pack down and took off his helmet.

The Lone Wanderer freed himself from his power armor and helped Charon out of his, arranging the two suits of armor in a corner of the room. He sat cross-legged on one of the beds, rummaging through his bag for the breakfast Wadsworth had fixed him this morning. The mirelurk stew was no longer warm, despite the thermos the butler had placed it in. Nevertheless, the food was good, and after a day's worth of missed meals, he ate with gusto. Replacing the jug in his pack he lay back on the bed, and sighed contently. He had barely been awake an hour, yet sleep was beckoning to him once more.

Daniel rolled over, facing Charon. The ghoul sat on his own bed, his nose stuck in a book then two had found on one of their forays into the Arlington Library, _Crime and Punishment _by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

"Hey Charon, I'm going to sleep."

His companion looked up, the lamplight catching on his reading glasses. Daniel stifled a laugh and quickly rolled over. The image of his friend in reading glasses was such a far cry from the cold killer the ghoul could be.

"What?" his ally growled.

"Nothing, good night Charon." The Lone Wanderer said, switching off his lamp and pushing himself under the covers. His ghoul companion was usually lenient when it came to his jokes, but the ghoul had killed for less. Daniel drifted off to sleep, hoping he remained in good enough standing with Charon to survive the night.

-----------------

The Lone Wanderer awoke an hour before sunrise. He automatically stepped into the bathroom and splashed his dark face with water. Daniel rubbed his whiskers, hoping Wadsworth had packed a razor. He had no such luck, but the robot had remembered to pack a toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste. Squeezing out the chalky white goo onto his brush, he brushed his pearly whites. The ancient paste had long lost its minty flavor, but at least it still did his job. Daniel rinsed out his mouth, silently thanking his father for the clean water.

When he returned to the bedroom, Charon was already awake and dressed. The Lone Wanderer threw on a pair of pants and an old t-shirt and closed his pack. The two went down to the steamer's dining hall where Nadine's cook was making breakfast for those who had decided to stay on the _Duchess Gambit_. Not long after they had taken their seats, Nadine herself served them, placing bowls of steaming porridge in from of the travelers.

"You mind if I join you two for breakfast?" she asked. "It's not very busy around here."

Daniel looked around. He could count the other passengers in the dining room on one hand. He nodded, patting a seat next to him.

"Of course, Nadine. We'd love your company." He said. The woman grinned and retreated into the kitchen. The Lone Wanderer watched her as she left. Suddenly, he noticed Charon staring at him.

"What?"

The ghoul said nothing, only raising an eyebrow.

"What?" Daniel asked. "She's a friend."

"Bow chicka bow-wow."

"Shut it―"

Their conversation was interrupted by Nadine's reappearance. The captain placed glasses of water down for the three of them along with her own breakfast. She took the chair next to Daniel. As she scooted her chair forward, the Lone Wanderer was certain she also slid hers _closer_ to his.

During their meal the woman continued acting strangely. She asked the Lone Wanderer about his love life and, discovering he was single, made braver moves. Daniel tried to chalk up Nadine's flirting to joking between friends, but soon her advancements were too blatant to ignore. The girl was in the middle of telling a tale of her time in Point Lookout when she "accidently" knocked her spoon onto the ground.

"Oh, clumsy me. Let me get that." Nadine ducked under the table and reached for her silverware. That wasn't the only thing she reached for though. Daniel felt her hand travel up his leg and in between his thighs. The hand squeezed.

"Woah!" Daniel exclaimed, jumping up. His seat clattered to the floor. "Thank you for the breakfast, but it's time we got going. Charon, let's go." Nadine was left alone as the two left the dining hall.

"You should stop by on your way back. Maybe we can continue this conversation later." She yelled after him.

At that Daniel almost sprinted out the door, barreling for the gangplank. He felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Kid." Charon said.

"What?" he asked.

"I hope you're not planning on going out there without armor, or a weapon for that matter." He pointed out into the barren wasteland. Daniel looked down at his shirt and trousers.

"No, that would be the last mistake I'd ever make. Come on Charon, let's head back to the room and get out of here before Nadine starts proposing to me too."


	5. Chapter 5

**Part 4**

As soon as the pair left the _Duchess Gambit_ the mysterious ship was visible. The rumors Daniel had heard about the _Warrant_ had said the warship was massive, dwarfing the carrier beside it, which was enormous in its own right. Seeing the vessel up close made the Lone Wanderer whistle. The vessel was incredible. In his travels, Daniel had found several holotapes depicting American Naval vessels. Not even the US Navy's nuclear battleships could compare to the _Warrant's_ armor and weaponry. The thing had a flight deck too, meaning that it could launch aircraft. Daniel could only imagine was secrets the ship hid under its steel skin.

The Lone Wanderer wasn't the only one interested in the strange vessel. A large group of wastelanders were crowded on the shoreline by the humongous vessel. He could make out several faces from those who made the journey to Rivet City with him.

A cadre of black-clothed soldiers kept the curious settlers from getting too close. As Daniel approached he admired their equipment. Their armor wasn't as thick as the power armor he wore, but where it lacked in strength it made up for in agility. The armor was made of a full-body ballistic suit with ceramic plates attached. On their heads were helmets as black as their vestments, tinted visors obscuring the faces of the soldiers. A red lightning bolt inscribed on a gray shield adorned the right shoulder.

Daniel and Charon made their way through the crowd and stepped forward to address one of the men.

"E-excuse me…" The Lone Wanderer stuttered.

The soldier took a defensive stance and leveled his rifle at the Lone Wanderer.

"Stay back caveman!" the man said, the speakers in his helmet giving the voice a metallic quality.

Charon reached for the shotgun strapped to his back, but Daniel put out a hand to stop his companion. If the ghoul fired on the mysterious soldiers, he would have just made enemies with a military organization no one knew anything about, and things could go very bad, very quickly. The Lone Wanderer raised his arms in a non-threatening gesture and took a few steps back. The guard's rifle dropped a few degrees, but was still trained on him.

"I'm not here to pick a fight," Daniel said, removing his helmet. "I'm the Lone Wanderer…you guys called for me!" To prove his point he played the radio signal from his pip-boy.

The soldier lowered his rifle at the words "Lone Wanderer". The man cocked his head to the left, his head bobbing up and down slightly. Daniel assumed the man had turned off his speakers, and was talking directly to his superiors. After a couple minutes of silent conversation between the man and the higher-ups, the soldier beckoned to him.

"Alright caveman, you're good. Follow me; the captain wants to speak to you." The man turned and started for the gangplank on the side of the vessel, the Lone Wanderer and Charon in tow. As he was lead into the ship, Daniel was amazed by the interior of the vessel. Compared to the grimy, crumbling buildings he was used to exploring, the well-maintained vessel looked as if it had been launched yesterday.

On the way to the bridge the trio came across by a group of soldiers loitering on the upper decks. Along with the lightning-shield, these soldiers had a patch composed of a black wolf's head on a yellow shield on their left shoulders. Their chatter came to an abrupt halt as Daniel and Charon passed. A couple of the men launched insults at the two.

"Oh, look at those savages. They think they're so fancy in their power armor." One said.

"You call those scarp suits power armor?" asked another.

"Shouldn't you be at the Renaissance Fair?"

The duo ignored the jibes and followed their escort into the ship's bridge. Inside, the room was filled with the buzz of activity. Ensigns bent over terminals, typing furiously as waves of information washed over their computer screens. Officers bent over a large holodeck displaying a map of the Capital Wasteland in the center of the room. Their consort led them away from the activity to the bridge's view ports, where a man stared out at the barren wastes before him. The soldier saluted and snapped to attention.

"Thank you Corporal." The man said, without turning around. The Corporal excused himself, leaving Charon and Daniel alone with the officer. Turning around, the man extended his hand.

"Nice to meet the fabled "Lone Wanderer face to face. I'm Captain Robert Llast of the Red Lightning 13th Legion, 5th Combat Group. I've heard a lot about you."

Daniel clasped the man's hand and looked him over. The man was suited in a dark grey greatcoat trimmed with scarlet. Underneath Llast wore the same ballistic suit the other soldiers wore, minus the ceramic plating.

"I'm honored Captain, I'm Daniel Frost." he said. "May I ask who the hell youpeople are?"

The officer chuckled, waving the Lone Wanderer and Charon to a couple of chairs in front of the viewports.

"Daniel, you have no idea how much I get asked that question." The captain took a seat across from the pair and steepled his fingers. "You see, we're not from here, if you know what I mean. I don't mean I'm from another state or even another country. But we're no aliens, either. We're humans, from Earth…just not this Earth."

The Lone Wanderer and Charon exchanged glances, and broke out laughing. After a minute or two Daniel got himself under control and looked back at Captain Llast. The expression on the officer's face could have made a Raider wet himself. He wiped his eyes and apologized, his voice still quavering with the aftershocks of his laughter.

"Did I hear you right? You're trying to say you're from another dimension?"

Llast sat forward, his face serious. "Your dimension may be slightly backward, but you guys have advanced technology. Inter-dimensional travel isn't too far a stretch. Where else do you think you'd find technology is this good condition? Under a rock?"

The Lone Wanderer mulled the Captain's words in his head a bit. The man had a point. Even the Enclave, as technologically advanced as they were, used centuries-old equipment. These guys, on the other hand, looked like their weapons had just come off the assembly line. But if they had come from another dimension, like Llast said, why were they here?

"Alright, let's say you guys are from another dimension," Daniel said. "What do you guys want with an irradiated rock like ours?"

"Red Lightning's goal is to unite all of humanity, no matter what dimension they reside in. That includes your 'irradiated rock'. My detachment is here to bring order to, and rebuild the Capital Wasteland." The officer gestured toward the barren landscape outside the window.

"We'd like you to help us with th―"

"Hold on there." Daniel said, stopping the officer mid-sentence. "I don't know if you've heard, but we just finished throwing out a 'benevolent organization devoted to rebuilding the Capital Wasteland.' How do I know you'll do what you say?"

Captain Llast sighed and rubbed his temples. After awhile, he spoke. "Very well, what can I do to gain your trust?"

The Lone Wanderer was taken aback. He wasn't expecting the officer to hear him out. Daniel glanced at the floor, rubbing his chin in thought. Finally he looked up.

"I want you to help me take care of Paridise Falls."

The Captain's brow furrowed in confusion.

"It's the hub for slavers in the Capital Wasteland."

Llast's scoffed and shook his head. " Damn. I didn't think you guys would revert so far." The man stood up, and gestured the duo to follow him.

"It's a deal, Daniel. I'll take pleasure in wiping that vile institution off the face of this Earth."

The officer stood and strode out of the bridge, the Lone Wanderer and his companion struggling to keep up with the man's hurried stride. This time the soldiers loitering outside the command center snapped to attention as their superior passed, but their salutes slackened in surprise at the two wastelanders at his heels. Once again the two were led through the _Warrant's_ maze of corridors. On the way The Lone Wanderer inquired more about the mysterious organization to which Captain Llast belonged.

According to the officer, he had come from a dimension much like the Daniels. But instead of nuking itself into oblivion, his universe had instead chose to unify under the banner of the Earth Union. The Union, lacking military strength, had contracted the Red Lightning private military corporation to be its sword and shield, an agreement that's lasted for hundreds of years. About fifty years back, the Corporation had been researching faster-than-light travel. One wayward experiment led to the discovery of alternate dimensions, and it was then decided that Red Lightning would work to unite humans _everywhere_.

Daniel was still awed by this story when the group reached an operations center near the rear of the vessel. LLast bent forward to the optical sensor at the side of the doorway. His eyes were unblinking as a red beam passed over his eye, granting the three men access to the room. The panel chimed softly as the heavy door glided open. As Daniel passed through the portal, he noticed how smoothly the aperture's machinery had been. Further proof how different the technology aboard this vessel was from the rusting antiques that permeated the Capital Wasteland.

The Ops Center had the same buzz of activity as the bridge, but in a much smaller space. Encased in his bulky power armor, Daniel had a hard time following Captain Llast as he snaked his way through intelligence officers as they monitored Red Lightning's forces throughout the wastes.

"Sutton. Sutton! Where are you?" the officer yelled at the top of his lungs. A light-haired man in the corner of the room looked up, leaving the technicians he was advising and making for the trio. Spotting the soldier, Llast's voice rose even louder, booming above the cacophony of the room.

"Ah, Sutton, there you are. I have a job for you. I need you to take this guy with you and wipe this place off the map." The commander picked up a nearby data-slate and picked out a waypoint on the map it displayed. Sutton took the pad and read the information that scrolled by.

"Of course sir, but may I ask why…and who our guest is?"

"I've forgotten to introduce you!" Llast yelled. "Sutton, this is Daniel Frost, the Lone Wanderer, and his partner Charon. Daniel, this is Lieutenant Henry Sutton, commander of field operations."

The three could only exchange hurried greetings before Captain Llast brought them back to the business at hand.

"Sutton, I want a standard task force ready in thirty. Daniel, stick with Henry. He'll show you the ropes. I'll meet you out on the flight deck." With that the Captain left, wading through the mass of people and leaving the room. The Lieutenant shook his head and nodded toward Daniel and Charon.

"The commander's like that. Follow me, I'll 'show you the ropes'."

After relaying Llast's orders over the intercom, Sutton led Daniel and Charon to the ship's armory. When the three arrived, a full component of soldiers was in the process of suiting up for the operation. First, the men received armor plates from a large machine, which were attached to slots on the ballistic suit they all wore. Following this, the soldiers waited in line to receive their weapons, sidearms, and grenades. Daniel admired the military efficiency of it all, not something found out in the wasteland. Even paramilitary organizations like the Brotherhood of Steel and the Talon Company mercenaries lacked the discipline the soldiers of the Red Lightning Corporate showed.

Lieutenant Sutton tapped the Lone Wanderer on the shoulder, leading him and his companion to a rack of ballistic suits on the wall. "This is the Merrel P-Tech Battlesuit, referred to as Leisure Armor by our legionnaires." The officer pulled one off the wall, letting the Lone Wanderer examine it more closely. "A Kevlar bodysuit injected with hydrostatic gel, the leisure armor controls the wearer's core temperature and can withstand the impact of small-caliber rounds. It is pressure-sealed, allowing for combat in areas with no or low oxygen. Slots on the armor allow for the attachment of plates that increase the armor's protection. Now, let's get you suited up."

Daniel shook his head and placed the ballistic suit back on the wall.

"No offense, but I'll stick with my Tesla armor. It's saved my life countless times." The Lone Wanderer rapped on the armor affectionately with his knuckle.

Sutton looked at him like he had just proposed going to battle in his underwear. "You can't be serious?" He said. Realizing that the Lone Wanderer was dead serious, he turned to one of the quartermasters and yelled. "Sergeant, bring out Sir Lancelot and Robocop!"

The Lone Wanderer and Charon could only watch in puzzlement as the soldier rolled out two armor racks. On one was Tesla Powered Armor similar to his, and on the other was a fully-armored P-Tech suit. The Sergeant drew an assault rifle from the weapon's rack and turned on the Tesla armor's ozone condensers, taking ten paces back. Sutton nodded at the soldier and turned toward Daniel.

"Can I see your laser rifle a second?"

Daniel shrugged and relinquished the weapon. Lieutenant Sutton shouldered the rifle and aimed it for the suit of Tesla armor, slowly squeezing the trigger. A red bolt of energy lanced out of the weapon's barrel, speeding for the armor's chestplate. However, the barrier of ozone surrounding the armor absorbed most of the energy, the only damage taken by the armor a slight scorching of its surface. The Lone Wanderer smirked at Sutton, but the Lieutenant only nodded at the Sergeant. The soldier raised his own rifle and fired.

_Crack. Crack. Crack._

The assault rifle's rounds pierced the heavy armor's plating like cardboard, exiting out the back and burying themselves in the padding across the room. It was now Sutton's turn to smirk at the Lone Wanderer, who rushed to get a closer look at the damage. The three rounds were neatly grouped in the center of the chest area, and had no trouble penetrating the main plating, let alone the mess of servos and wiring of the inner suit. Daniel picked his jaw off the floor and huffed.

"Let's see your armor do better."

"Certainly." The Lieutenant said with a smile, leveling the energy weapon at the second suit and firing off a shot. The laser struck the armor square in the chest. Daniel cheered, but upon closer inspection noticed that the plate, while melted, was still whole, the leisure armor underneath unscathed. The quarter master followed with another trio of shots, aiming directly for the molten section of armor.

_Crack. Crack. Crack._

The Lone Wanderer couldn't believe his eyes. The plate shrugged off the first round easily, but the second round cracked the armored section. The third bullet struck the center of the fissure dead-on, a net of tightly-woven fibers in its middle absorbing its impact.

"Looks like the P-Tech Armor wins." The Lieutenant said. "Sergeant, can you show Sir Lancelot the way out?"

The quartermaster obliged, bringing the assault rifle to his shoulder and pressing a button on the side of the triggerguard. There was a loud _whoomph_ as a grenade exited the weapon's top barrel, shearing off the power armor's top half in a storm of shrapnel. Sutton turned towards the Lone Wanderer with a smug look on his face.

"Suit me up." Daniel said, his expression changing from one of concession to one of excitement.

-----------------

While first feeling naked without his Tesla armor, donning the leisure armor made Daniel feel powerful. Doing some stretches in the suit, he was surprised at the flexibility the ballistic suit offered him. The suit and its armor plates were also incredibly easy to maintain. When fit into the slots on the suit, an electric charge heated a resin on the back of the plates secured them to the armor. Once damaged, the same charge could be used to re-melt the resin, allowing for quick replacement.

The only drawback to the armor was that the streamlined suit did not allow him to wear his Pip-Boy. It pained Daniel to part with the computer that had been on his wrist since before he left the vault, both emotionally and physically, as the device was wired to his nerves. He was consoled by the fact that Sutton had his data transferred to the battlesuit's onboard computer and that Lieutenant has assigned a few technicians to make his Pip-Boy compatible with the armor.

Next, the Lone Wanderer was acquainted with the weapons he would be carrying into battle. First was the Merrel Mark II Combat Rifle, the main assault rifle used by Red Lightning Legionnaires. Firing 5.56mm rounds from a horizontal magazine underneath the barrel, the design of the weapon allowed for accuracy and firepower in a streamlined package. A 20mm grenade launcher mounted above the main weapon's barrel, loaded from a revolver-type magazine at the rear of the weapon, gave the rifle a bigger punch against hard targets. The handgun Daniel was issued was affectionately named the "Pepper" by the soldiers. Chambering the small, armor piercing 5.8x28mm round, the handgun chambered thirty rounds in an extended magazine. While normally used on the single-shot firing mode, the pistol sported a fold-down handgrip when the occasion called for close-quarters fighting for use on full-auto. Then the Lone Wanderer was given a handful of standard fragmentation grenades, and a trio of sticky bombs.

"When you have a door that needs opening, or a tank that needs to die." The Quartermaster said with a chuckle, handing Charon a combat shotgun. The ghoul looked pained to put aside his old weapon, the new shotgun had a much larger ammo drum, and used both buckshot and slug shells.

Finally, the quartermaster gave the pair their close-combat weapons, a pair of carbon-steel wristblades. Attached to each forearm, the blade was relashed from its sheath by a circular motion by the chosen hand. Testing out the blades a couple times, Daniel was impressed by the speed the blades withdrew, and their balance.

_And they make me feel like Wolverine._ He thought.

Fully armed and armored, the two were spirited away to the ship's massive hangar bay in the aft of the vessel. Arranged on the giant elevator was the complement of troops and materiel that would assist Daniel in burning Paradise Falls to the ground. In front of him were at least a hundred trained soldiers at attention, bristling with weapons. A quartet of dropships assembled behind the legionnaires were their transportation across the Capital Wasteland, the jet-powered craft much faster and much more agile that the rotored Vertibirds used by the Brotherhood of Steel. Next to the transports, a pair of heavy-lift VTOL aircraft carried the four tanks that would support the operation. The taskforce assembled, the large elevator began to creep upwards, bringing Daniel the soldiers onto the _Warrant's _flight deck.

As promised, Captain Llast was waiting for them. The commander's face brightened after seeing Daniel and Charon wearing his battlesuits, shaking the Lone Wanderer's hand vigorously.

"Good to see you in a suit of leisure armor, Daniel. Remember, once I do this for you, I expect you to return the favor."

Daniel returned the man's strong shake. "You help me raze this place to the ground and you've gained my trust."

Llast saluted the taskforce and turned to leave. The Lone Wanderer and the others returned the officer's salute before piling into the transports. Strapping himself into his seat, Daniel slammed his helmet on his head. There was a chime as the suit's computer linked to the heads-up-display on his visor, displaying the mission clock and a waypoint to Paradise Falls. A shrill whine started inside the troop compartment as the dropship's engines sprang to life. The craft lifted off the ground, the turbines howling louder as the aircraft gained altitude. Once they reached cruising speed, the pilot came in on the radio.

"In route to Paradise Falls, population soon to be zero. E.T.A ten minutes."

Behind his visor, Daniel smiled. Even by car, it took most of a day to travel from Rivet City all the way to the slaver hub. He could definitely get used to this. Reclining back as much as the bucket seat would allow him, he fiddled around with his armor's computer as his target grew ever closer.

* * *

Alright, hope you guys like how I've restructured the story. I'll try to post more frequently, but I can't make any promises. I should be able to post fairly regularly once marching season's over. One more thing. I need suggestions for what to rename the Wanderer's new armor. I hate the name "P-Tech Battlesuit", but I've got nothing better at the moment.


	6. Chapter 6

The Gathering Storm

**Part 5**

Daniel's boots hit the dirt and he turned, waving to Sutton as the dropship took to the air once more. The bird had deposited the Lone Wanderer and his companion about half an hour's walk from the slaver's nest of Paradise Falls.

"We'll be waiting for you over the next ridge," the Lieutenant had said. "So give us a call when you wan t the party to start."

He sighed and started for the settlement, Charon silently falling into step behind him. After flying such a distance in a few minutes, walking the final leg of his journey made him feel extremely slow. But it felt good to have his feet in the dust again, and the toys Llast had given him made him feel like Rambo.

Cresting a dune, the settlement of Paradise Falls became visible. Crouching behind some dry brush, Daniel activated the scope in his helmet. Instantly the landscape in the distance jumped at him, making the Lone Wanderer feel like he was right at the town's gates.

Paradise Falls had been a strip mall before the bombs fell. Like a Wasteland settlements, the current Paradise Falls was a far cry from the commercial center it had once been. High walls surrounded it, a single gate the only entrance into the township. Glints of sunlight from the façade told Daniel that snipers mounted the walls.

The only artifact from the mall's prewar days was the Burger Boy mascot. The immense figure dominated the settlement's skyline, smiling widely and presenting a giant cone of soft-serve to the denizens of the Capital Wasteland. On top of the statue was a large antenna, a recent addition to the statue.

To insure their merchandise, slavers equipped their stock with special collars. If a slave escaped or turned against their masters, the neck ring could be remotely detonated. With the antenna however, slave collars could be triggered by any slave that passed an electronic fence set around the compound.

Daniel felt rage bubbling up inside his chest. He had tried repeatedly to stop the Paradise Falls operation, but the slave trade was a lucrative business, and the slavers were too numerous and well-trained to take on alone. He had argued his case to the Brotherhood, but Elder Lyons had deemed his resources too scarce for such a costly mission.

But the Lone Wanderer had new friends now, friends who wanted to end the slave trade as badly as he did, and had the manpower and hardware to do it.

A smile creeping over his face, Daniel continued on his way to Paradise Falls.

"Time to burn these rats out." He said.

-----------------

As Daniel neared the front gate, he slowed his pace, keeping his hands as far away from his weapons as possible. Normally the slavers guarding the walls were forbidden from firing on non-threatening targets, in an effort not to scare away potential customers. It would only take one sniper with an itchy trigger finger to send him to the Wasteland in the sky. Looking at Charon, he found more cause to be nervous. The ghoul was visibly tense, his right hand inching toward his shotgun's trigger-guard. He prayed to god the anxious ghoul wouldn't get them both killed.

"Hey Grouse," one of the sentries yelled. "got two at the front gate."

The corrugated metal blocking the entrance slid away, revealing a dusty-looking slaver. The dark-skinned man had a cocky smile that made Daniel want to shoot him on the spot. It wasn't the first time the two had met.

-----------------

_The slaver guarding the front gate unleashed a flurry of lightning-quick blows to the Wanderer's stomach, causing him to double over in pain. The man grabbed Daniel's collar and dragged him to his feet. He flashed a cocky smile before smashing heads with the nineteen year old, sending him to the ground. The young Wanderer spat blood and glared at the slaver, but the man had a gun to his head. Only a few months out of the vault, Daniel had no Charon, no sophisticated weaponry, and no training. The kid still wore an armored version of his vault jumpsuit, the numbers "101" printed on his back in gold, his only weapons a meager pistol and a beat up bolt-action rifle._

"_Listen kid, you come here as a customer and you're cool with us. But come back here without any caps and spew that shat again I'll drop you where you stand. Now get out of here."_

_The Lone Wanderer, bruised and bloodied, limped away, vowing to someday burn that vile nest of demons to the ground._

-----------------

"Hold it right there guys," Grouse said, raising his assault rifle. "stat your names and business here. Don't want to shoot any valued customers, do we?"

Daniel smiled wickedly and retracted his helmet's visor.

"Been awhile, Grouse."

"Well if it isn't the Lone Wanderer. How can I help you this fine day?"

Grouse's voice was friendly enough, but was undercut with malice. Daniel knew all too his tone reflected a similar hatred.

A beep in his ear signaled that Sutton and the assault team were ready, but he decided to try the civil approach once more. He had nothing to lose…if the slavers accepted, then he'd spare them. If not, well…he'd go with plan A.

"I want you guys to end your operation here." He said calmly.

The slaver sighed.

"Shoulda known." Grouse said. "Listen, its not that we're ungrateful, kid. You've done a lot for us. The caps we used to spend purifying water. Whoo…you've saved us thousands. But what we run here…" he gestured to the settlement behind him. "…is a legitimate business. You can't expect us to just pack up and leave."

Daniel almost snapped at the words "legitimate business". How in the hell could trafficking humans be considered remotely legitimate? The Lone Wanderer let his anger subside, consoling himself with the knowledge of what was to transpire.

"That's exactly what I expect you to do." He said coolly. "If you won't leave, I guess I'll have to burn this shithole to the ground."

Grouse's expression quickly switched from one of confusion to one of anger. The slaver took a swing at him.

"You little shit, I warned you what I'd do if you came back spouting that crap. I'm gonna enjoy killing you."

The Lone Wanderer was much more experienced than the teenager he had been eighteen months before. He parried the clumsy punch easily, following up with a fist to the face. The blow broke the slaver's nose; a Grouse fell to the ground dazed. Daniel activated his radio.

"Alright Sutton, party's started."

-----------------

Grouse held a hand to his nose, watching the Lone Wanderer and his companion. After decking the slaver, the man had said something into the radio in his helmet, and now watched the horizon patiently.

_What the hell is this kid thinking?_ He thought.

There was no way he and that zombie of his were leaving here alive, not after striking him. And if he thought the two of them were going to take on Paradise Falls by themselves, then he wasn't just stupid…he was crazy.

_Was that movement on the eastern ridge?_

The slaver could barely make out figures in the distance. It was impossible to tell how many, or their affiliation. The snipers on the walls, however, were ordered to shoot suspicious persons on sight. Whatever mercenaries the kid had hired would be killed before they got into rifle distance.

As the sun beamed down on the desert landscape, Grouse thought he saw flashes of light in the distance.

_The sun reflecting off of scopes._

A series of loud cracks sounded from the ridge, several of the sentries crying out in pain, the rest ducking behind the facade.

"Snipers!"

"I'm hit."

"Wilson took one right through the eye, there's blood everywhere!"

The slavers on the wall effectively suppressed, more men appeared over the rise. Soon, four large shapes crested the dune. Grouse's jaw dropped at the sight of the tanks. He instinctively ducked as the tanks belched flame. The round shrieked by, tearing into the scrap metal wall, the reports of the guns reaching his ears a second later. Debris and men were tossed into the air as the high-explosive shells struck the outer perimeter, leaving gaps large enough for troops to pour through. The vehicles fired a second barrage. All four rounds struck the Burger Boy head on, and the ancient statue crumbled antennae and all, into a pile of twisted metal and concrete.

Grouse glanced at the Lone Wanderer. The kid still had that smug look on his face. The slaver grimaced, realizing that he had played into the guy's hands, dooming not only himself, but their entire operation. He wanted to blow the kid's head right off his cocky little shoulders.

"You damn brat," he yelled, reaching for his rifle. "I'll kill you!"

The Lone Wanderer looked down, as if noticing the slaver for the first time. He smilied.

"Charon."

One second his arm was on his rifle, the next it was gone. The slaver fought back a scream and grabbed what was left of the appendage with the other arm. The kid's ghoul companion blew smoke from his shotgun's barrel. The Wanderer stomped down on Grouse's head a couple times, drawing new shouts of pain from the wounded man. Finally, the man drew a pistol from a waist holster and leveled it at the slaver's forehead.

"So ends the era of the slaver's." he said. The Lone Wanderer squeezed the trigger, ending the pitiful man's life.


	7. Chapter 7

**Part 6**

Daniel turned away from Grouse's lifeless body feeling extremely satisfied. He holdtered the pistol, impressed with the handgun's performance. The weapon had virtually no recoil, and from what it did to the slaver's head…he could tell it had stopping power. From the way Charon was admiring his weapon, the Lone Wanderer could infer the ghoul was similarly impressed by his new toy.

With support from the four tanks, it didn't take long for the legionnaires to advance into engagement range, and began to fire on the remaining sentries standing on the wall. Under such concentrated fire, the slavers fell easily.

He scanned the battlefield, his HUD identifying the advancing troops by their friend/foe tags. Daniel was impressed; he hadn't been in the armor for an hour and he and Charon were already listed in the mission file. Because the two were not actually part of the force, Captain Llast had given them the unofficial rank of "Wanderer". He liked the sound of that… _Wanderer Frost_. He would have to thank Llast later.

Locating Sutton behind one of the advancing tanks, the Wanderer met up with the Lieutenant.

"Great entrance." He said, patting the officer on the back.

"I do my best." The man replied. "Now let's finish this up."

The armored vehicle rammed into the settlement's wall, breaking through the rusty iron like a blade. Lieutenant Sutton barked several orders over the radio, waving the soldiers pouring through the breaks in the façade on.

The Lone Wanderer looked off in the direction of the slave pens. He would have to hurry before Red Lightning set this whole place ablaze, or before a desperate slaver decided to liquidate his merchandise.

"Sutton, I'm going to free them." He said. The man nodded, pointed to two legionnaires behind the tank.

"Sure. You and you…go with him."

The men nodded, sprinting after Daniel and his companion.

-----------------

The Lone Wanderer ducked behind a derelict car as bullets pounded against the rusty metal. As the firing slackened, Daniel and one of the legionnaires stood and fired into the shanty while Charon and the second soldier flanked around from the left. The pair reached the side of the shack and tossed in a grenade, blowing the slavers inside sky high. The latest threat silenced, he left his cover and sprinted up the street, taking cover behind a concrete embankment. Daniel readied his rifle and swept the rows of buildings for sign of the enemy as the other three bounded to his position.

The Battle for Paradise Falls was being hard fought. While the soldiers of the Red Lightning Corporate were better trained and equipped, the slavers were no pushovers. In the wasteland, the slavers were a feared paramilitary force. And this was their home turf and corporate office. They weren't going to give it up without a fight.

Daniel sighed. They were only partway to the slave pens and they had already engaged multiple groups of slavers. The settlement was a maze of corrugated shanties and crumbling strip centers. An ambush could come from anywhere.

Passing an abandoned car, a slaver popped out from the vehicle's hood and unleashed both barrels from his shotgun in the Lone Wanderer's direction. The nineteen year-old ducked as Charon and the other two soldiers filled his attacker full of holes.

"Jesus," he said. Daniel patted himself down. It appeared the slaver's hurried salvo had missed him completely.

"Kid come look at this." Charon said. The Lone Wanderer joined the trio around the car's open hood. The engine block had been removed entirely, the car now used to conceal a spiderhole. Further analysis showed the hole led into a tunnel network that led under Paradise Falls. One of the legionnaire's accompanying him activated his radio.

"This is Fire Team Beta. We've found what looks like the entrance to a large web of tunnels, over."

The four men waited in silence around the vehicle for a reply.

"Roger that, Beta, we've received several reports on the network. Seems it runs underneath most of the town. We're sending in a team of engineers now to blow the tunnels. Please stand by until detonation." The comms officer said.

Retreating from the car, the soldiers took cover behind a concrete embankment. Soon a timer appeared in the corner of his HUD, counting down from half a minute. The clock struck zero, an explosion sounding in the distance. Seconds later, pillars of fire erupted all over the settlement. The car concealing the spiderhole was jettisoned into the air, crushing a row of scrap metal huts down the street.

Daniel and the others whooped as the smoke cleared, continuing on their way to the slave pens.

"Man, aren't you glad you traded in that old metal suit." One legionnaire said, sending a playful elbow into the Lone Wanderer's ribs.

"Why?" he asked.

"I doubt that power armor could have taken a blast from a shotgun as good as the L-suit could."

"What? I wasn't hit." He said, running a gloved hand down his side. His fingers brushed against shattered plates. Daniel looked down; it seemed the slaver's buckshot had hit him after all. The Lone Wanderer looked himself over once again. He appeared to be unwounded, though he could definitely feel a bruise starting to form on his left flank. That would hurt later, but he'd live.

Daniel let the thought slide to the back of his mind as the slave pens appeared in the distance.

-----------------

Charon fired his shotgun, blowing the lock off the cell doors. The slave's eyes went wide with disbelief as the Lone Wanderer stepped into the pen with a cadre of futuristic-looking soldiers. An emaciated old man rushed to him and held onto his hands for dear life, as if his salvation would disappear if he let go.

"I knew you would come to save us! I just knew it!" he said, tears streaming down his eyes.

Daniel calmed the elderly slave down and drew his knife, leveling it at the man's collar. Applying pressure near the device's hinge, the neck ring snapped and fell off the man's neck in pieces. The former slave was brought to tears once again, embracing the Lone Wanderer. The nineteen year-old detached himself from the grateful man, starting on the next man's collar.

"That's a pretty handy skill, where'd you learn it?" One of the soldiers asked.

"I met an escaped slave a few months back. Taught me how to remove these damned things." The Lone Wanderer said, successfully detaching another collar. "The neck rings are pre-war device used on prisoners. A couple hundred years of corrosion and it only takes a little pressure in the right spot to break the hinges."

After watching Daniel remove a few more collars, the other three men drew their own knives and helped the Lone Wanderer free the rest of the slaves. The group of newly-emancipated Wastelanders crowded around the quartet, some smiling, others crying profusely.

"Alright, alright. You're all free now," Daniel said quieting the restless ex-slaves. "Get out of here as fast as you can. We're burning this place to the ground."

The elderly man took charge of the group, leading the freedmen out of the city, shouting thanks all the while. The Lone Wanderer's heart swelled as he watched the slaves go. Never again would they be worked like pack animals under tyrannical masters. Never again would they have to fear the cold metal binding their necks…

"This is Daniel, I've freed the slaves." He said over the radio.

Sutton voice cracked from his helmet's speakers. Gunfire could be heard in the background. "Great. We've cleared most of the city, but we're facing some fierce resistance near the center of town, by some old cinema."

"Yeah that's where their leader is, Eulogy Jones." The Lone Wanderer replied. "They're not going to give up the city hub easily. I'm on my way."

-----------------

"Sir, there's some trouble at the front gate."

Eulogy Jones growled, untangling himself from a blonde slave and smoothing out the wrinkles in his red velvet suit. The African-American shot a glare at the unwelcome intrusion and sent the mistress, Clover, into the next room.

"What?" he asked. The man squirmed a little under the head slaver's stare.

"It's that Vault kid." The slaver cried. "He's back, and the sentries thought the saw movement in the distance. They think he hired some mercs to take us on."

"And why would I care about that?"

"I thought you'd want to know…"

The head slaver punched the man across the face, sending him to the floor. Drawing a pistol, Eulogy placed it on the man's forehead.

"I want to know why the _hell _you aren't out there protecting my investment. Now get out there and kill that damn vaultie, before I kill you." He said coldly. The slaver only stammered in reply before sprinting from the room.

Holstering his weapon, Eulogy returned to his bed.

_Now where was I? Ah yes…Clover._ The slaver licked his lips and called the slave back to his room. The blonde sauntered into the bedroom, swaying seductively just outside of his reach. Eulogy smiled. The woman may have once been a regular slave, but years in his "care" had transformed the poor girl into a bloodthirsty whore.

"You wanted somethin' Mista Eulogy." Clover said, bending over to show the slaver her backside.

"Yeah, I wanted an afternoon "snack" before my nap."

An explosion in the distance knocked the whore onto the bed. Eulogy pushed the startled save off him and ran to the balcony. He couldn't believe his eyes. Four tanks were advancing on the city, firing on the walls. The vehicle's second salvo shattered the Burger Boy statue in the courtyard, covering the slaver in dust. He yelled to a crowd of men in the yard below.

"What the fuck are you doing? Go and throw those mercenaries out of here, and bring me Mr. 101's head on a stick!"

-----------------

As Daniel neared the city's center, the sound of fighting increased. The chatter of automatic weapons echoed off the settlement's metal walls, engulfing the Lone Wanderer in battles taking place blocks over. Reaching the town's main street, the group found a squad of Legionnaires pinned down behind an abandoned bus by a group of slavers in a run-down building. A slaver wearing a shabby excuse for power-armor wielded a minigun on the roof defiantly, strafing the soldiers with fire. Daniel switched to the proper channel and hailed them on his radio.

"They've got our squad leader stuck behind that concrete divider over there!" a panicked voice responded.

Daniel recognized the voice. It belonged to one of the soldiers who had made fun of him earlier…the ones with the patch of a wolf on their shoulders. He swallowed hard. It wasn't time to be getting over small things. There was a life at stake. He turned to Charon and the other soldiers.

"Cover me. I'm going to rescue him."

The three of them nodded, and opened fire as the Lone Wanderer sprinted for the divider, some thirty meters from his position. The ground behind him shook as bullets pounded at his heels. He was about halfway to the wounded soldier when a small, round object landed in front of him. Daniel's instincts took over, and the man kicked away the grenade, and dove for the safety of the embankment. The explosive's blast lifted him up, ramming him face-first into the divider.

The Lone Wanderer shook his head until his vision cleared. He had made it safely to the wounded man, but the grenade's concussion had dented several of the plates on his chest, and his assault rifle was nowhere to be found. The nineteen year-old turned his attention to the wounded soldier. The man lay on the ground in a steadily growing pool of blood, clutching his side with one hand. Daniel rapped his knuckles on the soldier's visor.

"You awake? I'm here to get you out of here." He said.

"Yeah," the man grunted in an awfully feminine voice. Daniel's eyes widened.

"You're a girl?" he asked.

"And you're Einstein." The woman grunted, trying to sit up. The pain from her wound kept her from moving.

"Sorry," the Lone Wanderer said. "I couldn't tell from the armor…"

"The armor's unisex, it's supposed to be that way. Now, didn't you say something about getting me out of here?"

It was then Daniel realized his great plan was only half-baked. He had been perfectly capable of reaching the downed officer, but as for getting her out of the action…he had no clue. Looking down at his equipment belt, an idea struck him. Drawing two cylinders from his waist, he turned to the wounded soldier.

"You have any smoke grenades?" The Lone Wanderer asked. The woman nodded and produced two from her own belt. Taking the grenades, Daniel pulled the pins and chucked all four over the wall. Soon a hissing sound could be heard over the sporadic gunfire, a gray haze forming between the trapped pair and the slavers in the building.

Daniel spun around at the sound of footsteps behind him. Charon and the other two Legionnaires reached the embankment, joined by another soldier bearing a red cross on his helmet. More soldiers rushed into the smoke used the cover the Lone Wanderer created to advance on the occupied structure. Shortly afterwards the sounds of battle subsided.

The medic continued his work on the wounded woman, but assured Daniel the officer would live. A pair of soldiers arrived with a stretcher, and placed the wounded girl between them. As they carted her off, she called out.

"Wait, what's your name…soldier?"

"Daniel, Daniel Frost." He said.

After the officer had been taken away, Lieutenant Sutton hailed the Lone Wanderer on his radio.

"Come on to the cinema. We've got a present for you."

-----------------

The movie theater was a smouldering ruin. The battered edifice was rattled with bullet holes, and a tank had crashed right through the front wall. When Daniel arrived, Sutton and his revenue had the slaver on his knees, a slave collar jammed on his neck.

"Well if it isn't my old friend Eulogy Jones. Where's your gal-pal Clover?" he asked.

Eulogy glared daggers at the Lone Wanderer, and gestured toward the bullet ridden corpse on the man's bed, pistols still locked in its dead hands.

"I gave you plenty of chances to pack up and leave Eulogy, but you spat in my face each and every time. Well now I've come back to make sure you never enslave anyone…ever again."

The man was sweating profusely, possibly inferring what the nineteen year-old was going to do to him.

"You know what I should do now, Eulogy? I should keep that collar on you and sell you off to one of the people I just freed… let them do whatever the hell they want to with you. They'd probably work you to death slowly, without food, without water…just like you did to them."

The head slaver cringed at the thought. Daniel's smile widened. He was enjoying this far too much.

"But I'm a better person than you, Eulogy, so I'm going to save you from all that."

Eulogy Jones sighed in relief.

"By giving you the mercy of a quick death."

"What?"

All the soldiers surrounding the man opened fire, their bullets turning the slaver captain into noting but red velvet and meat. When the gunfire stopped, Daniel noticed he had drawn his own pistol in the chaos, and had unloaded an entire clip into Eulogy's body. Just to finish things off, he spat onto the pile of what used to be Eulogy Jones. The Lone Wanderer turned to leave the cinema.

"Come on Sutton, let's get out of here."

* * *

Hope you enjoyed the Razing of Paradise Falls. I don't know when I'll be able to post next, but I'll just tell you that I have big plans for Daniel and Red Lightning, and that this is only the beginning!


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"Low bridge, everybody watch your heads!"

The tank crashed through the outer walls of Paradise Falls at close to forty miles an hour. Soldiers riding atop the vehicle hung onto its sides for dear life, whooping like drunkards. Daniel found himself yelling at the top of his lungs as they cleared the newly created pile of rubble and wiped dust from his visor. He glanced back at Charon. The ghoul looked like he was barely hanging onto the netting on the vehicle's flank. The Lone Wanderer offered a helping hand, hefting his followed back onto the tank.

"You alright?" the twenty year-old asked. His companion crossed his arms, but his hands returned to the ropes at the first bump in the terrain.

"Couldn't we have just walked?" he grumbled.

The vehicles stopped a couple miles from the ransacked township. The Lone Wanderer hopped to the ground and turned to admire their handiwork. Rivers of smoke flowed into the sky, staining the sky above a grim shade of grey. The remains of the Burger Boy lay in a smouldering heap. Hearing footsteps behind him, he turned around. A soldier strode up to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"So, how'd we do?" Sutton said. Daniel laughed. He was still unable to determine one man from another in the L-Suit, other than Charon. He had a feeling that such knowledge came only with camaraderie. Camaraderie he would have to fight to build.

"Not the best work I've seen, but I love the brushes you used." He said.

"Oh I'm not finished yet," The lieutenant said, pointing at the settlement in the distance. "watch."

Daniel did watch, and nothing happened. The fires in the city still burned, and the Burger Boy remained a pile of rubble. Then, in the distance, he heard a high screeching. The Lone Wanderer looked up, seeing a bird-like shape pass overhead, there one second and gone the next. He couldn't believe his eyes. Rivet City had an entire squadron of planes rusting on its flight deck, but this was his first time seeing a jet in the air. The sleek aircraft was gone a couple of seconds before he realized it had left a gift. A large cylindrical object spiraled downward, fins on its tail guiding the munitions directly into the center of the city. Right before striking the ground, the bomb exploded, obscuring the city in a yellow mist. From inside the haze came a small spark, which turned the cloud into a fireball. The remains of Paradise Falls were eclipsed by the explosion. Daniel steadied himself and a shockwave whipped by, stirring up waves of dust. The Lone Wanderer's mouth hung agape as the white cloud over the city began to disappear. If Paradise Falls had been ransacked before, it was annihilated now. The settlement was a pancake of burning iron and concrete, and debris was still falling from the sky.

"One destroyed town, courtesy of the nice people on the RLS Matthews out in Chesapeake Bay."

"Was that a nuke?" Daniel finally asked.

"Nah, a thermobaric explosive. A fuel-air bomb." Sutton said, cleaning his armor with a rag. "Same boom, none of the radiation."

The Lone Wanderer turned to the Lieutenant and offered his hand. A few hours before, Paradise Falls had been a cesspool of demons masquerading as humans. Now it was rubble…sweet smoking rubble. He could have hugged the guy.

Sutton grasped his hand and shook it heartily. "Well, looks like we impressed you. Now that we've done you this favor, Commander Llast would like to know if you could help us move in somewhere?" The lieutenant uploaded data to his visor's computer, marking a waypoint on the map on Daniel's HUD. The Lone Wanderer recognized the place instantly.

"Oh, that's the Bethesda Ruins. Been there a couple times. A gang of Raiders like to hang out in the office buildings. Jack's Rippers, I think they're called. With this firepower it should be no problem." He gestured to the ensemble of armor and infantry behind them.

"Excellent." Sutton said. "If we hurry, we might able to get settled in before nightfall."

With that, the officer left to rouse the men. Daniel took one last at what remained of the slaver encampment and returned to the tank.

-----------------

Compared to the battle with the slavers, kicking the Raiders out of the Bethesda Ruins was a cakewalk. The gang of jackals didn't even put up a good fight, and were sent running at the tank's first salvo.

After dispatching the Raiders, heavy-lift transports swarmed the site, carrying pre-fabricated walls and buildings. Just as Sutton had said, by nightfall, the dilapidated office complex had transformed into a Red Lightning outpost.

Lieutenant Sutton sat down next to the two wastelanders, handing each a ration tin. The Lone Wanderer took off his helmet and scooped a spoonful of the sirloin dinner into his mouth. He was surprised by the flavor the rations had, used to the stale taste of food processed before the bombs fell.

"This is good. Even food in the vault wasn't this good." The nineteen year old said, taking another bite.

Sutton nodded, digging into his own meal. "We're blessed with great rations, but the sirloin's the best, hands down. How do you like yours, buddy?" The officer jabbed Charon with a friendly elbow. The ghoul only stared at the man, grunted, and returned to his meal. The lieutenant turned back to the Lone Wanderer. "Your friend doesn't talk much, does he?" he asked.

"Nah, Charon is kinda shy. Doesn't really say much to anyone other than me. Isn't that right…buddy?"

His ghoul companion glared daggers at him and growled.

"You know I'm only kidding, Charon." The Lone Wanderer said.

The ghoul only grunted again and returned to his meal. Lieutenant Sutton dropped his voice and nudged the nineteen year old's shoulder.

"Say Daniel, does your friend have some kind of skin condition?" he inquired.

The wastelander shook his head and chuckled. Ghouls still got more than their fair share of stares in his universe. It was no surprise that the lieutenant would be curious.

"No, he's what we call a ghoul. At some point in his life Charon here was exposed to a bunch of radiation. Causes necrosis of the skin and certain body systems, while extending his life-span. Our friend here is more than a hundred years older than me, but he'll never be able to have children."

Sutton let this new information roll about in his head for awhile. Finally, he asked. "Any of these 'ghouls' dangerous?"

"Most ghouls are what we call 'sentients'," Daniel began. "they still have mental functions, and most of them are no more dangerous than the rest of us. Sure, some have animosity to us 'smoothskins' because of all the prejudice, but most just wanna be treated like human beings."

"There are, however, ghouls that have had their minds baked be radiation, and lost all ability to reason. They're just like wild animals, and are just as dangerous as some of the mutated critters out there. But they're usually only found underground or in old buildings."

"Good to know." The officer said. He finished off his dinner and reclined his chair. "Oh, the show's starting."

Daniel, Charon, and the rest of the combat group now rested in a conference hall watching the "highlight reel" from the legionnaire's helmet cameras. While originally used to document combat procedures and rules of engagement, the footage soon evolved to a form of entertainment.

The film switched to the point of view of one of the snipers during the Battle for Paradise Falls. The man was exchanging banter with his comrades as he knocked slaver after slaver off of the settlement's walls. Four headshots later, the soldier ejected his clip and slammed a new one into place.

"Man, I'm on fire today!" The man yelled, firing off another shot and turning an unfortunate slaver's head into jelly.

"Hey, that one was mine!" another sniper whined. "You've been stealing kills all afternoon."

"Your fault you can't hit the broad side of a barn." The first sniper said, cracking off another two rounds in quick succession. "Nineteen…Twenty!"

The sniper's fire ended abruptly as a voice erupted from the radio.

"_Attention all forces. A network of tunnels has been discovered underneath the city. A demolitions team is about to blow the tunnels. All forces stand clear until detonation."_

The snipers were silent until the resulting pillars of fire roused a chorus of "ohhs" and "ahs" from the soldiers. The first man caught sight of some movement at the base of the settlement's wall, and increased the magnification of his rifle's scope. A group of slavers emerged from a tunnel emerging from the façade just before a plume of fire erupted from the hole. Those too close to the entrance were incinerated, the rest were cut down by the sharpshooters.

"Whoo, twenty five!" the first sniper yelled.

The footage switched to other highlights from the razing of the slaver settlement: the fierce firefight in the Paradise Falls Commons, the taking of Eulogy's cinema, and the Lone Wanderer's sprint to save the wounded soldier. The auditorium broke out into laughter as the grenade rolled to his feet, the resulting explosion sending the wastelander flying into the air. Daniel grimaced and held his still-aching head as his past self impacted the concrete divider head first. The screen blacked out and credits began to roll, naming the soldiers featured in the "film". Once the credits ended, the house lights came up, and many of the soldiers left for their quarters.

"Some movie huh?" Sutton said, putting his feet up on the empty chair.

"Yeah, could have done without that last scene though." The Lone Wanderer said. He was interrupted by a chime from his radio.

"_Daniel, this is Commander Llast. I'd like to see you in the briefing room soon as you can get here."_

The wastelander shrugged and stood. "Alright, I'm on my way. Come on Charon." He turned to leave, the ghoul at his heels. Suddenly he twisted around.

"The woman I saved. Is she alright?"

The Lieutenant chuckled. "Yeah, she's fine. She might be pissed that a caveman saved her though."

Daniel raised an eyebrow. "Why is that?"

"The woman you saved is Sergeant Major Katherine Adams. She's the leader of the Iron Fenrir." Upon seeing the Lone Wanderer's confusion, the officer continued. "They're the best of the best. Wear a patch of a wolf's head on their shoulders."

The Lone Wanderer nodded, remembering the patch and the men who wore it. If that woman was the leader of those jerks, he didn't want anything to do with her.

"Well the members of the Fenrir are extremely proud. I doubt Kathy'll like the fact that she owes a wastelander her life." Sutton finished.

"Thanks for the tip." Daniel said. He waved goodbye to Sutton and exited the auditorium, finding his way to the briefing room. Commander Llast waited for him, standing with his arms crossed behind his back over a newly-constructed holo-map. The man's face brightened upon seeing Daniel, and the officer enveloped the Lone Wanderer and his ghoul companion in a bear-hug.

"There are the men of the hour!" he said. "I'm pleased to tell you I've had you two officially instated into the force. Congrats, Sergeant Frost and Corporal Charon!"

The two wastelanders released themselves from the officer's embrace. Llast brought them over to the holo-map, gesturing to a satellite view of the Capital Wasteland.

"Daniel, I think it's about time we started cleaning up the Wasteland, don't you think?" he asked.

"From your sound of voice, it sounds like you have a plan to make this happen." The Lone Wanderer said. The commander chuckled, patting Daniel on the back.

"Indeed, I do. This is what I have in mind…" The officer pressed a button on the holo-map, and the satellite view of the Capital Wasteland was traced over in red. All of the area's main settlements were marked on the screen, along with a large area seemingly in the middle of nowhere. Llast spoke slowly and deliberately while relaying his plan, Daniel and Charon listening silently to the commander's proposal. When finished, the Lone Wanderer began to applaud the officer.

"I'm impressed." He said. "You've got the plan, and the resources to carry it out. I'm just not sure the people of the wastes will go along with it. We _just_ kicked the Enclave out. I don't think many of them will be so trusting."

Commander Llast smiled and pointed at the wastelander. "That's where you come in."

"Go on." Daniel said.

"You're the Lone Wanderer. The people of the Capital Wasteland love and respect you. Surely, they'll listen to you if act as our ambassador." Llast said.

The Lone Wanderer turned the idea over in his head. "You want me to be your ambassador to the Wastes?" He asked. The commander nodded, and extended his hand.

Daniel sighed inwardly. It seemed that his life out of the Vault had been a long train of life-altering decisions. Now he was in that position once again. From what he had seen, Llast and his men truly had the Capital Wasteland's welfare in mind. On the other hand, giving such a powerful force so much leeway could lead to the Enclave all over again. He sighed again, outwardly this time.

But these people had single-handedly thrown out the slavers, the most evil people in the DC Wasteland. For the time being, he would bet his money on them. Daniel clasped the officer's hand, and shook heartily. "I'm in."

"Perfect." The officer said, beaming. "Alright, I need you visit these locations an inform them of what we plan to do." He gestured to the circled locations on the map. "Try and gather as much support as possible. There'll be a dropship waiting for you in the morning. I'll scrounge up some muscle to accompany you."

"Will do…sir." Daniel said, throwing in a salute at the last minute. Charon half-heartedly followed his example. Commander Llast chuckled and returned the salute.

"Dismissed Sergeant, and good luck."

With that, the two wastelanders left the briefing room for their temporary quarters. In the corridor were two helmeted soldiers. The Iron Fenrir leered at him from their shoulders. Spotting Daniel and Charon, the pair moved to block their path. For several moments, the men faced off without speaking. Next to him, the Lone Wanderer could sense Charon's muscles tensing, ready for an altercation that would likely present itself.

"Our commanding officer wants to speak to you, _caveman_." One of the soldiers finally said his sneer grating from his helmet's speakers. "Follow us." The two men turned and started down the hall. Daniel and Charon followed, the nineteen year old whispering to the ghoul. "Keep your guard up."

"Don't have to tell me that, kid." He rasped.

The two wastelanders found themselves outside a pair of double doors. Formerly an entrance to a conference rooms, a newly erected sign declared an entranceway into "The Den". One of their escorts rapped a knuckle against the old wood.

"Come in." a woman's voice said.

Daniel's new friends pushed open the double doors, gesturing the pair inside. "The Den" was a fitting name for the Iron Fenrir's quarters. The boardroom was cluttered with weapons, spare ballistic suits, and other military hardware. The large meeting table was pushed against the wall, serving as an impromptu rifle rack, and food storage. Soldier lounged on cots, on the floor, and it office chairs. The Lone Wanderer was so busy taking in the scene before him that he didn't notice the brown-haired woman eying him from a cot across the room.

"Ahem." She coughed.

"Uh, hi." He said, waving.

The woman pointed to the complex arrangement of chevrons on her shoulder, and then to the far less complex set on his own uniform. Daniel snapped to attention, almost smacking himself in the face with his salute.

"My apologies, sir…maam…_sir?"_

The officer smiled and returned the gesture.

"Either or is fine, Sergeant," she said, sitting up. The woman winced in pain and held her side. Once the pain was gone she continued. "I'm Sergeant Major Katherine Adams, head of the Iron Fenrir."

The Lone Wanderer nodded. "Sergeant Daniel Frost, and this is Corporal Charon…" the ghoul grumbled in reply…" Lieutenant Sutton told me about you."

Adams rolled her eyes. "He tell you to watch out for us?" Daniel nodded. "Don't let Sutton scare you," she said. "We may be wolves, but we don't attack our own. Understand." The wastelander nodded again.

"Good, now I called you here for a reason. Commander Llast has assigned us to accompany you on your little diplomatic mission tomorrow, so I wanted to introduce you to the team." The Sergeant Major gestured to the man next to her with long, unruly black hair. "This is Carlos Valadez. He specializes in tech. Hacking, communications…all that stuff." Next was a soldier of mixed asian/white descent. "Matt Shoakrolif...demolitions."

Katherine went around the room, introducing the rest of the Fenrir to Daniel and Charon. There was Icarus Lloyd, the unit's sniper, a white man with curly brown hair and brown eyes. Filling the close quarters role was Daylan Price, a blond-haired, blue-eyed, man with a cocky smile. Finally there was Nathan Brewer, the team's heavy weapons specialist. Easily the tallest of the group, Brewer was about equal to Charon in height. He was loud and boisterous, and had a arrogant demeanor similar to Daylan's.

Introductions aside, Daniel bid farewell to the Fenrir and turned to leave.

"Wait," Adams said. The Lone Wanderer turned to see the Sergeant Major rise and limp over to him. "I also wanted to thank you for saving my life. I won't forget that." She stuck out a hand. Daniel took her hand and shook. Katherine smiled, and then saluted. "Dismissed Sergeant, report to the landing pads at 0600!"

"Maam." Daniel said, returning the salute and leaving the room.

* * *

Whew! Finally got chapter 8 up. Well, school is officially winding down, meaning my free time is multiplied tenfold. I really want to get this story up and running cause let me tell you...it gets good later on. Hopefully that'll be enough of a hook to keep you guys coming. Read and enjoy. Please comment. I accept all praise, criticism, even typo point-outs!


	9. Chapter 9

As instructed, Daniel and Charon arrived at the landing pads right at six o'clock. The sun was just cresting over the horizon, light reflecting off of the three craft prepped there. No sooner had the pair's boots hit the tarmac then Sergeant Major Adams emerged from the hatch of the lead craft.

"Come on Sergeant, Corporal," she waved them over. "Troops are loaded and ready to go. Let's go…you've got a bust day ahead of you."

To punctuate her statement, the dropship pilots started their engines. The Lone Wanderer and his ghoul companion picked up the pace, jumping into the hatch just as the craft began to lift off. The Wastelanders strapped in as the door hissed closed behind them.

"So…where too first?" Daniel asked. Sergeant Major Adams fiddled with the interface on her wrist. A map of the Capital Wasteland popped into the HUD on his helmet's visor. Several empty squares dotted the chart, their location marked by a green arrow. A square south of the arrow began to flash.

"Megaton," she said.

* * *

Saying that the citizens of Megaton were surprised by their arrival would be an understatement. As soon as the three dropships appeared over the Megaton crater, small arms fire filled the air. The rounds bounced harmlessly off the crafts' plated sides, but the incessant rattling on the hull grated against his eardrums. Brewer stomped his boot on the floor.

"Stupid cavemen, don't they know we're friendlies! God damn!" He cursed "Pilot, fire some warning shots or something." The electric whine of a minigun spooling up could be heard of the chatter of automatic rifles.

"Wait," Daniel said, unbuckling himself and stepping forward into the cockpit. "The only things that have been flying over the Wastes have been Enclave Vertibirds. Please understand if they're a _little_ hostile." He sent a glare back at the heavy weapons specialist before turning back to the co-pilot. "Do you have a loud speaker?" The soldier nodded, taking his thumb off the firing yoke and pressing a button on the instrument panel in front of him. The words _connected to speaker _appeared in the bottom right corner of his visor. The co-pilot flashed him a thumbs-up.

"Attention Megaton citizens, this is Daniel Frost. The people I'm with mean you no harm. Stop shooting long enough to let us land and I'll explain the whole thing."

The torrent of small-arms fire trickled to a stop. The Lone Wanderer pat the two pilots on the shoulders. "Now that's taken care of, we need a good place to land. How bout in the center of the crater, next to the atomic bomb?"

"The what?!" the men said in unison.

"Don't worry, I disarmed it ages ago. " Daniel said.

* * *

The dropships were greeted by a ring of Megaton settlers. The Wastelanders still had weapons drawn, nervously clutching rifles, pistols, and combat knives as the three craft opened their hatches. Daniel and Charon emerged first. The Lone Wanderer felt it was best to shoulder his rifle and remove his helmet. The Megaton settlers relaxed somewhat, their armaments slowly returning to their holsters. Those weapons whipped right back out again as three squads of heavily armed Legionnaires stepped from the dropships.

Daniel whipped around. "Put your weapons away!" he hissed.

"No can do." Lloyd said, examining his sniper rifle.

"Can you at least lower them a little?" The Lone Wanderer asked. Icarus and the others grudgingly complied. Daniel faced the Wastelanders, holding both hands in the air.

"It's okay. They're with me. I need to talk to Simms."

"You bet your ass you do." A deep voice said. The ring parted, and Lucas Simms emerged. The sheriff had his arms crossed over his chest, his expression torn between amusement and irritation.

"Let's talk over drinks at Moriarty's. I'll explain everything. Charon, I'll be up at the saloon, you're free to do whatever you want till I get back." Daniel said. The sheriff nodded, and turned to lead to the way up maze of scaffolding that led to the town's most frequented bar at the lip of the crater. The circle of Wastelanders began to disperse little by little as the Lone Wanderer, Adams and Lloyd followed Simms.

"Hey Frost," Brewer called. "Want us to start with 'that'?"

"Yeah." He yelled back. "But be careful."

"'That'?" Simms asked, one eyebrow raised.

"Let's just say I'm getting rid of your radioactive, five-ton problem for good."

* * *

Moriarty's was the number one place Megaton settlers could forget about the harsh, unforgiving world with the wondrous properties of strong alcohol, as long as they had the caps. Its proprietor, Colin Moriarty, was a shrewd Irishman who ran Megaton's shadier enterprises. It was this gray-haired man who decided to drop in on Daniel's meeting in one of the establishment's back rooms.

"You brought such interesting friends with you, mi boy. You should introduce me." The crime boss said, placing a bottle of whiskey and several shot glasses on the table.

"Well…" Daniel began.

"Leave us, Moriarty." Simms said. "This is business concerning the city…"

"I _own_ this city, Lucas." Moriarty said. The Irishman's voice lowered, his eyes narrowing. "You may keep the piece here, but_ I _made this city what it is. Now shut up and let the kid continue, or I'll have my associates throw you out." He gestured to the large men standing in the corner of the bar. The dark-skinned sheriff glowered at the crime boss, but kept his mouth shut.

The Lone Wanderer laughed nervously and continued with the introductions.

"Ah, Katherine…pleased to meet you. " Moriarty planted a kiss on the woman's hand. "Such a beautiful face should not be covered by a helmet. If you ever tire of being a soldier, I'd be honored if you became of my girls." He gestured to a trio of scantily-clad women entertaining a group of Wastelanders at the bar.

The sergeant major was dumbfounded. Slowly her confusion morphed into anger. She looked ready to slap the lewd Irishman. Lloyd's hand was on his pistol, ready to beat the woman to the punch.

"Umm, Katherine's commander has a proposition for you guys." Daniel said, aptly changing the subject before someone got shot.

"Ah yes. Thank you Daniel. Lloyd, the data-slate."

The leader of the Iron Fenrir retrieved her hand from Moriarty and brushed a lock of hair from her eyes. Icarus reached into his pack, retrieving a holo-slate and placed it on the table. The projection the Lone Wanderer had been introduced to the night before sprang onto the screen.

"The Capital Wasteland is a scattered collection of isolated settlements. " Daniel began. "While these cities are neutral towards each other, and are connected by the caravans, they are by no means unified. Red Lightning's plan is to help the Wastelanders to create a unified nation, with its capital…here."

The spot the Lone Wanderer had indicated flashed yellow. The image zoomed in to a projection of the flat, featureless wasteland. Then, walls sprang from the ground, encircling a space that was soon populated by a grid of pre-fab buildings.

"This is the new city of Hope, construction starting today. We'll be ready to start moving Wastelanders into the city within the month. Priority will be people living in fringe communities, and those living in the common houses of the main settlements."

The table was silent for several moments. Lucas Simms sat back in his chair, arms folded, brow crossed in thought. Moriarty was chuckling lightly.

"Kid, you expect me to believe this?" the Irishman asked. "Sure your friends have some fancy toys…but building a city in a month? I wasn't born yesterday…"

Daniel shook his head. "These guys can do it. Yesterday, Bethesda was a raider camp. Today it's a Red Lightning fortress. They have all these pre-fab buildings on their vessel, and more in their ships out in space."

This comment made Moriarty laugh louder than ever. "Spaceships? You've got to be kidding me. You've been eating too much Punga…" the crime boss paused. The whole building appeared to be shaking. The liquor bottle rattled on the table, the amber liquid dancing inside. The group followed a crowd of Wastelanders to the windows of the establishment. High overhead, a giant shadow passed overhead. It looked like a picture Daniel had seen of a U.S. steath bomber, but quadrupled in scale. The craft banked northeast, where the city of Hope was undergoing construction.

"Sweet Jesus! What was that?" Moriarty asked.

"An Icarus-class high altitude Titan." Sergeant Major Adams said, a smile forming on her face. "Acts as a go-between for the people on the ground with our fleet up in orbit."

The Irishman sighed and shrugged his shoulders.

"Looks like you win kid." He said. "Do what you want, just make sure you save space for an establishment of mine in that city of yours…I've been meaning to branch out. Oh, and lassie. Remember…my door's always open for you." Moriarty ducked into his office before Katherine or Lloyd could respond.

Daniel looked back at Simms. The sheriff had retaken his seat and was pouring himself a drink. The Lone Wanderer rejoined him. Lucas poured a second shot and offered it to him. He simply shook his head, and the sheriff quickly downed the whiskey himself.

"So what about you?" Daniel asked.

"Normally I'd make sure you had your head on straight…but I trust your judgment. I've also heard what these guys did to Paradise Falls." Simms responded.

"You heard about that already."

"News travels fast around here. Especially good news." The sheriff replied.

Their conversation was interrupted as one of Lucas' newly deputized enforcers came bursting through the door of the saloon.

"Sheriff, there's trouble going on in the crater." The man said.

"Damn," Simms cursed. The man stood and unslung his assault rifle. He turned to Daniel. "How do I have a feeling that you and your new friends are behind this?"

* * *

Turns out the sheriff had been dead on. While at their little meeting, Daniel had commissioned the other Legionnaires to remove Megaton's namesake from the center of the crater. The bomb's trigger had been disarmed, but it would only take an idiot with a grenade or a spare bullet to incinerate the entire town. With the bomb gone for good, the Megaton settlers would be free from the radiation and fear that seeped from the bomb's casing.

Brewer and the others had successfully hooked the bomb up the harness of a loitering heavy-lift craft when the Megaton congregation of the Church of Atom arrived, up in arms. The mysterious men was running off with Atom's gift to the people of the Earth, they screamed, brandishing pistols, axes, and hunting rifles as they encircled the soldiers. The Legionnaires were close to firing on the Wastelanders when Daniel, Simms, and the others arrived.

"Hold everything!" Lucas' deep voice boomed. "What the hell is going on here!"

Confessor Cromwell, the acting leader of the Megaton sect, pointed an emaciated hand at the legionnaires. "These outsiders are stealing Atom's gift! We must stop them!" His cry roused a chorus of yelling from the churchgoers. Simms fired a shot in the air.

"Quiet everybody. No one's going to shot anyone…or I'm gonna have to start shooting." Simms' deputies readied their own weapons.

Daniel raised his hands. "Hold on, this is all a grave misunderstanding." He said. Daniel pulled Cromwell off to the side and whispered in his ear. The feeble man's scowl turned into a bright smile.

"Ah, what a misunderstanding it is! My children, the Lone Wanderer has informed me that soldiers are the Crimson Bolt of Atom, come from far away to heed our prayers! They wish to move our holy relic to the new, glorious temple they construct for Atom in the new city of Hope!"

The congregation burst into cheers, and put away their weapons. Several men and women approached the confused legionnaire, laying hands upon their armor. Simms shook his head and turned to leave.

"Don't know why I let those crazies stick around here. Take care of yourself Daniel."

The Lone Wanderer waved goodbye to the sheriff and his enforcers, then flashed a thumbs-up to Brewer. The soldiers returned the gesture and continued his check of the harness.

"Crimson Bolt of Atom? Didn't know you were such a good liar, Frost."

Daniel turned around as Katherine and Lloyd made their way through the crowd. "Sergeant Major." He said, quickly flashing a salute. "I've learned to embellish throughout my travels. Saves lives and bullets."

The sergeant major smiled. "Didn't know you were such a diplomat. I guess you're suited for this job, after all. And Frost, call me Katherine. I hate it when people throw around my rank like that."

The Lone Wanderer paused. "Alright...Katherine. But I ask that you call me Daniel as well."

"I can do that Daniel. Now it's time we headed out. We've got several more stops to make." The woman said.

"You mind if I stop by my house first?" Daniel asked. "Got to drop off some things." As if cued, Charon appeared carrying two duffel bags , bulging at the seams with their old gear. "There you are buddy…missed ya."

* * *

Daniel inserted his key into the lock, turned it, and pushed open the door.

"Welcome to my humble abode." He said, waving Katherine into the house before entering himself. Charon trudged in after them, dropping the heavy duffels onto the floor.

"Wow," the officer said. "You have _a lot_ of stuff."

The Lone Wanderer chuckled at the understatement.

When he had received the shack a couple years ago, its interior had been bare except for a bed, a couple chairs, and a Vault-Boy Bobblehead Collector's stand. Over his travels, he came across many interesting, and what he didn't sell for caps became trophies that adorned his house. The main room was now filled with sets of lockers, a workbench, a couch, and a coffee table. A startling array of weapons decorated the walls along with pre-war posters that depicted the coming Holocaust in cartoonish colors.

Katherine mounted the stairs, finding the second floor similarly decorated. A Nuka-Cola machine buzzed silently in the corner, along with a desk with a working terminal. The most impressive sight, however, were the racks that lined the walls. There had to be at least fifteen of them, holding up power armor, combat armor, and a few pre-war suits. She was about to reach out for a green uniform close to her when a silver object appeared from the room to her right. Katherine instinctively reached for her pistol as the robot hovered closer.

"Please put away the weapon and identify yourself." It said in a British accent.

"Hold on Wadsworth. This is Katherine, a guest of mine." Daniel said, reappearing behind her.

"Understood, registering now. Welcome back sir. Was your journey eventful?" The machine asked.

"Very," The Lone Wanderer replied. He turned to Katherine. "Sorry, he's my butler. You like my collection? I could give you a guided tour." He gestured toward the racks.

The officer nodded.

"Well, this right here is a uniform worn by Enclave officers. The three suits of power armor to the right of it are Enclave as well. The next two are Brotherhood power armor. That last suit of armor is the T-51b…"

The Lone Wanderer showed the Red Lightning Sergeant the rest of his impressive collection. He was in the middle of introducing his vault suit when their radios chimed.

*Katherine, Daniel, we need to head out.* Lloyd's voice came in.

"Roger that. We'll be there shortly." Katherine said.

The two went downstairs, where Charon was just finishing putting their old equipment in its proper place.

"You've got the best timing, Charon. Come on, we've got a schedule to keep. Next stop…"

"Vault 101," Katherine said, placing her helmet on her head.

As if someone had flicked a switch, Daniel's normal cheery attitude deflated.

"Oh," he said quietly.


	10. Chapter 10

The dropships rose above the scrap metal city of Megaton and banked gently to the west. Within minutes they had passed over the rotting shells of pre-war homes in the abandoned town of Springvale and reached the ridge beyond it, which looked over a broken stretch of highway.

"There's not enough space to land all three of the craft here, so we're going to drop you here and find a place to land." The pilot came in over the intercom. "Just give us a ring when you're ready to head out."

Dusty air filled the troop compartment as a soldier opened the hatch and sent a coil of rope down to the wasteland below. Wordlessly, Daniel stood, took hold of the rope, and rappelled down. A battered sign declaring the point a "scenic overlook" still stood on the ridge, a relic from before the bombs fell. The Lone Wanderer strode up to the crest of the outcropping and looked out over the familiar scene of devastation before him. This was the sight that had greeted the Lone Wanderer when he had first stepped from the Vault. The blinding sun had given way to a sprawling desert, the township below him crumbling in silence.

The cold, but familiar, presence behind him announced that Charon had descended from the dropship. The ghoul stepped up next to him, and put a hand on his shoulder.

"You alright, kid." Charon asked.

Daniel nodded. "Yeah. Just wasn't expecting to ever come back here."

The two heard the sound of engines above them increase in pitch, then recede. Daniel turned toward the squad of legionnaires. The soldiers prepped their weapons and entered the small shaft that led to the Vault door. Katherine waved them over.

"Come on! This is your home right? Let's go say hello."

"Sure." Daniel said quietly, stepping into the darkness.

* * *

It took Daniel's eyes several moments to adjust to the dim tunnel. Katherine and the others were already congregated at the end of the shaft, standing before a large, cog-shaped blast door emblazoned with the numbers "101." The Vault door was closed securely over the entrance, and gave no signs it was going to roll away any time soon. Brewer stood at a small terminal in front of the entrance, yelling into the intercom.

"… look, we're here with the Lone Wanderer! We just want to talk. We're friendly."

"Access denied." replied a computerized female voice.

"God dammit let us in!" Brewer yelled, pounding his gloved fist on the terminal.

"Access denied."

The soldier cursed and shook his fists, looking for something to hit. Finding nothing suitable, he punched one of the other legionnaires in the shoulder. The man threw down his own rifle and tackled Brewer, and the two began to wrestle. Daniel strode up to the terminal as Lloyd and Katherine pulled the two apart.

"Amata, let us in. We just want to talk." There was silence for several moments, then…

"Access denied."

"I know you recognize my voice, Amata. Here, I'll even take off my helmet, so you know its me." Daniel removed his helmet, and glanced at the camera installed above the Vault door. "Now, let us in."

"Access denied."

"Amata, stop using that damn voice!" he yelled. "There are big things going on up in the Wasteland, and the people in the Vault need to know. Now open that door or I'll have my friends blow the damn door down." He glared into the camera's lens for several moments. Suddenly there was a hiss behind the blast door and a warning klaxon wailed. The whirring of machinery could be heard as the massive door rolled away, revealing a welcoming party of blue-jumpsuited security personnel. The Vault Security officers were better armed than Daniel remembered them, likely due to trading with Wasteland caravans. Still, the men quailed at the sight of the armored soldiers from the Wasteland.

The wall of guards parted, revealing a young woman around Daniel's age. She carried herself like a person twice her years, with cold eyes and mouth stuck at a permanent frown. Her skin was pale due to her entire life lived under fluorescent lights; her dark hair pinned back in a tight bun. Upon seeing the Lone Wanderer's face the woman's cold eyes seemed to melt, quivering for a split second before hardening once more.

"I've got a Vault to run, so this will have to be kept short. We can speak privately in my office. Please follow me." She said curtly. With that, she turned and strode away.

"Amata…" Daniel said, taking a step forward.

"Please call me Overseer Amata." She said without turning around.

"Are you sure you wouldn't prefer Overseer Almodovar." He said coldly.

Amata stopped, then continued. Daniel smiled grimly and motioned for the others to follow.

* * *

"And that's the plan. If any of the Vault residents wish to move to the new city, there will be escorted caravans leaving from Megaton in about a month. Red Lightning also plans to construct an outpost in Springvale, in order to protect both Vault 101 and Megaton from attack."

Daniel and Katherine sat across from Amata in the Overseer's office. Officer Gomez, the new chief of Vault Security, and Charon stood off the in corner, watching the proceedings. The Overseer nodded and spoke.

"Very well, I will make a broadcast to the Vault citizens. Is this all you wanted to speak about?"

"Well…yeah," Daniel said.

"Then this meeting is adjourned. You know the way out, now I have business to attend to." Amata said, standing and leaving the office.

"Wait," he said, starting after her. Daniel placed a hand on her shoulder. Amata whipped around and glared at him.

"_What _do you want?" she asked quietly.

"I want answers from you. Why are you acting like this?" he asked.

"I have a Vault to run. Forgive me if I seem a little preoccupied."

"That's not an excuse to treat me like some dog." he said. "You used to be so warm and kind. You've changed."

"No _you're_ the one that's changed! That's why I exiled you from the Vault!" she screamed.

Daniel stepped back as if struck. "So that's why you did it?" his voice beginning to quaver. He took a step towards her.

"Amata…I,"

"Get away from me!"

He felt something prod his side. Daniel looked down, seeing Amata's pistol centered on his stomach. The woman's eyes were wild and her hands were shaking.

"Just take yourself…and your zombie…and your soldiers…and leave, forever." She said. "Or I'll shoot."

The Lone Wanderer took another step forward. "You're joking. We were best friends, Amata. You'd never…"

It felt like he had been tackled by a sentry bot. Daniel was knocked on his ass. Looking down, he saw a crumpled wad of metal crushed against the surface of his armor. He plucked it from his side and examined it more closely before letting it fall to the floor. The Lone Wanderer glanced up at Amata, still holding the smoking handgun. She looked ready to break into tears, her hands shaking violently. Slowly, she brought the pistol down towards his head.

"Hey!"

Two legionnaires appeared behind Amata, tackling her to the ground just as she pulled the trigger. The round bored harmlessly into the metal floor. The soldiers pinned the woman down, one knocking the pistol out of her hands. Katherine, Gomez, and Charon appeared from the Overseer's office, more people appearing down the hall to observe the commotion.

"What's going on?" several people asked.

"She shot me." Daniel replied, pushing himself to his feet. The Legionnaires wrestled Amata to her feet, and bound her arms behind her band with some kind of plastic bands.

"We're taking her with us. She's under arrest." Katherine said. "Who's next in command after her?"

Officer Gomez raised his hand tentatively.

"Congratulations, you've just inherited the Vault. We'll be in contact. Take her outside." She said

The soldiers pushed the former Overseer in front of them.

"Get walking." One said.

"Wait," Daniel said. Amata stopped and turned. The Lone Wanderer stepped up to her, and brought his mouth close to her ear.

"I guess you're more like your father than you thought." He whispered.

Amata broke into sobs as the legionnaires led her away.

* * *

Daniel stood on the ridge overlooking the ruins of Springvale. The wind blew by lazily, creating tiny dust devils that played over the rocky ground. The three dropships appeared from the west, throwing sand high into the air. The craft dropped down coils of rope attached to a spool on the hatch, creating a crude escalator. The Lone Wanderer smirked as he saw Amata winched up to the dropship like a piece of cargo, then returned to his vigil over the Wasteland. His face was set in the same smile he was known for, but his eyes betrayed his true feelings.

Katherine waited for the last of her men to ascend before stepping over to Daniel. Being a squad leader meant learning to read you men, and the Sergeant Major could tell that the Lone Wanderer was hurting. She was about to call out to the wastelander when a legionnaire stepped in her way.

"I told all of you to load up. We've still got work to do. I'll be up shortly." She said.

"The kid doesn't want to talk to anyone now." The man rasped. He opened his visor, revealing sallow skin and milky eyes.

"Sergeant Charon, I'm trained in unit psychology. It's my job to help my soldiers through issues like this."

"The kid'll be fine."

"He needs help."

"He doesn't _want_ help." Charon said. "But he does need it. He's seen so much, experienced such sadness, I don't know how he wakes up every day and does what he does. Just give him some time. I'm sure he'll talk. He likes you."

"How do you know that?" Katherine asked.

"He holds my contract. I know him like I know myself." Charon stepped out of the way, and grabbed a handle on the escalator. Katherine watched Daniel for awhile in silence, then called out to him.

"Daniel, are you ready to go?"

The Lone Wanderer turned. His normal demeanor had returned, his eyes bright and cheery.

"So, where to next?" he asked.

* * *

Daniel, Katherine, and the Iron Fenrir travelled to all of the major settlements in the Capital Wasteland, spreading word of the new city of Hope and Red Lightning's intentions in the DC area. Girdershade, Arefu, Bigtown, Canterbury Commons, Rivet City, Tenpenny Tower, the Republic of Dave… all the cities agreed to the initiative and planned to send their surplus populations to the new city.

The three dropships were returning to the Bethesda base to refuel and drop off their "guest."

"We're picking up Commander Llast. He wants to be there when we head to the Citadel." Katherine said.

Daniel groaned. He had completely forgotten about the Brotherhood of Steel. The Lone Wanderer had yet to contact Lyons about the Red Lightning forces, and the Brotherhood of Steel didn't like being kept out of the loop. He wasn't entirely sure their reception would be a warm one.

* * *

Upon entering Citadel airspace, they were hailed by Citadel Command and ordered to identify themselves or be shot promptly out of the sky. Daniel got on the horn and explained the situation, but the baffled scribe on the other end seemed to have trouble contemplating that a highly advanced military force from another dimension had come to DC area. Daniel couldn't blame him.

Even after they had been cleared, some jumpy initiate on an AA gun had opened up on them as the three dropships approached. It was only the pilot's quick reactions that saved them from crashing to the ground in flames, and the co-pilots quick reactions that prevented the pilot from opening up on the foolish gunner with the craft's cannon.

When they landed, the legionnaires were greeted by the largest contingent of Brotherhood soldiers Daniel had seen since the attack on the Jefferson Purifier almost a year ago. Each knight was fully decked in polished power armor, and was armed to the teeth. The shining sea of power armor parted, revealing an elder man in long blue robes. His long beard was snow white, his skin wrinkled with age.

If Commander Llast was fazed by the display, he didn't show it. The officer merely dusted off his greatcoat, adjusted his hat, and strode to meet the Brotherhood Elder.

"Commander Robert Llast, Red Lightning 13th Legion. Pleased to meet you." He said, extending a gloved hand.

"Owen Lyons, leader of the Capital Wasteland Brotherhood of Steel." Lyons did not return the gesture. Llast beamed and pat the Elder on the back…hard.

"Nice to meet cha Owen." Llast said, beaming. "Now you and I have things to discuss. I was thinking we could help you with water deliveries…" The commander placed a hand on Elder Lyon's shoulder and led him off to the inner ring of the Citadel.

As the two leaders walked off together, the assembled soldiers began to disperse and return to their normal duties. The legionnaires around the dropships slung their weapons and relaxed. One man retrieved a harmonica from his pack and began playing, while a few gathering around a deck of playing cards. Daniel exhaled and leaned against the side of the craft. The atmosphere had been so tense he could taste the animosity in the air. Luckily the powder keg hadn't ignited. The Lone Wanderer took off his helmet and took a swig from the canteen on his belt. He looked up, and nearly choked.

Across the courtyard, seven Brotherhood soldiers advanced in close formation. The Brotherhood of Steel insignia on their spaulders was inscribed with a lion rampant, and coated with grime from the Wasteland. The leader figure, a blond woman with hair tied back in a ponytail, spotted Daniel and narrowed her eyes. Katherine eyed the approaching soldiers and called the rest of the Fenrir around her, removing her helmet and meeting the Brotherhood soldiers with her hand extended.

"Sergeant Major Katherine Adams, leader of the Iron Fenrir. You must be Sarah. Daniel told me about you on the way here." She said plaintively.

"Sentinel Lyons, commander of the Lyon's Pride." Sarah took the other woman's hand tentatively, as if was radioactive. "Funny, Daniel didn't tell me about you at all." She gave Daniel a fresh glare. "May I speak to the esteemed Lone Wanderer in private?" Before he could respond she grabbed his forearm in a servo-assisted vice-grip and dragged him to a corner of the yard.

"What the hell were you thinking, Daniel? You bring a military force we know nothing about right into our headquarters? Look at their weaponry, they would have done a number on Citadel if they wanted to…" she said harshly.

Daniel detached her hand from his arm and rubbed the spot tenderly. "Sarah, please. They had no intention of starting any fights. Llast has a plan that will change the Capital Wasteland for the better, and he wants to include the Brotherhood in it. Besides, it was you guys that fired on us in the first place."

"You would too if you saw strange aircraft flying towards you. The Enclave are the only ones other than us with that kind of tech. How can you be so sure these guys aren't Enclave."

"Have you looked at their tech? Its light years beyond what the Enclave has. They razed Paradise Falls to the ground and are currently creating an oasis in the middle of the Wastes. That's all the proof I need. Isn't that enough for you." He brought a hand up to brush some of the dirt off her cheek.

Sarah sighed and brushed his hand away. "It's not that easy Daniel."

"It's never that easy…is it." The Lone Wanderer said venomously before stalking off toward the dropships in the middle of the courtyard, where an argument was breaking out between Brewer and Paladin Glade, the Pride's heavy weapons expert.

"…what was that tin man! You call that pea shooter a gun. _This _is a gun." He said, showing off his squad automatic weapon.

"Please, when it comes to hosing hot lead, nothing beats this baby." Glade said, patting his minigun affectionately. "Besides, you probably can shoot straight with that toy anyway, spaceman/"

"Oh yeah!"

"Yeah!"

Members of both the Pride and the Fenrir raised their voices, adding fresh insults and challenges to the dispute. Daniel sighed, and nodded to Charon. The ghoul acknowledged, firing off two shells from his shotgun into the air.

"If you guys want to see who's the best, why don't you guys have a mock-battle?" Daniel proposed. A few members of the Fenrir nodded affirmatives. Even Glade grudgingly acknowledged the idea.

"A war-game could be fun." Katherine said. "The Iron Fenrir accepts. What about Ms. Lyon's Pride?"

"The Pride accepts." Sarah, said. Appearing behind Daniel. The grime on her face had channels running down from her eyes, and her pale skin was flushed. The Lone Wanderer looked away and attributed it to the heat.

"Alright then…we'll have our little contest about month from now, after the construction of Hope is completed. That way, you'll have plenty of time to train…so we won't beat you _too_ bad."

"Hey," Brewer began.

"Sergeant Major Adams, tell the pilots to start the engine and the men to load up! We're blowing this popsicle stand!" A voice boomed.

The group turned. Commander Llast strode towards them from across the courtyard with Elder Lyons following not far behind. The legionnaires exchanged some parting jibes with the Pride before boarding the waiting dropships. Before stepping into the craft, Llast turned and waved to Lyons.

"It's been fun! Be sure to stay in touch now!"

Daniel looked back at the Elder, then to Sarah, before jumping into the rising dropship and closing the hatch. The three aircraft rose above the ruins of the Pentagon and began their short flight home. The co-pilot shook his head and called back into the troop compartment.

"We sure got a warm reception from those knights in shining armor, didn't we?"

Llast withdrew a flask from his coat and took a swig. "They're just nervous that's all. I've seen it before, when an officer who's so used to working alone finds out he has a new partner to work with. Owen and his shiny boys and girls will have to get over it or learn to work with us or we'll just change the world without 'em."

The commander took another hit from his flask and closed his eyes. Soon Daniel's eyelids begin to droop, the weight of the day's events slowly pulling him into unconsciousness.

* * *

Father and daughter watched as the three strange craft rose into the air and flew away, taking their strange new "allies" back to their new outpost in the Capital Wasteland. Owen Lyon's sighed, tired. He was simply too old to be dealing with the daily troubles the Wastes threw at him. With the appearance of Red Lightning, he was sure if his heart would give out. In their meeting, Llast had been very direct. They were building a city in the middle of the Wasteland, meant to house the huddled masses without roofs over their heads, and to create a new nation with the city of Hope as its Capitol. Llast also wanted to assist the Brotherhood of Steel with its water deliveries, providing air support for the caravans that ferried Aqua Pura to the surrounding townships. To celebrate their new alliance, the Red Lightning commander has proposed a ceremony later that year, on Purifier Day, to commemorate the new Capital Coalition, as he had called it.

It all seemed too good to be true…which was why Lyons didn't believe it for a second. There had to be some ulterior motive behind all of this goodwill and benevolence, there just had to be.

He turned to his daughter.

"Sarah, I'm going to my quarters to lie down. I need you to tell Scribe Rothchild to speed up his work in the projects I gave him last month."

"Yes father." Sarah said. "You don't trust them?"

Owen Lyons shook his head. "I can't say that I do."

"Me neither."


End file.
